Kick-off of the US-German Workshop Series on Artificial Photosynthesis

The first workshop on artificial photosynthesis has set the frame for the upcoming sessions. First, the results of the initial closed US-German workshop held in 2020 has been wrapped-up by Dr. Frances Houle and Prof. Dr. Hannappel, the chairs of last-year's workshop. In the second part, Prof. Dr. Harry Atwater and and Prof. Dr. Wolfram Jägermann have presented their views on the state of the art and future needs with respect to artificial photosynthesis.

Agenda

Welcome and introduction of the goals of the workshop series

(download presentation)

Artificial photosynthesis - state of the art from the US and German perspective

(download presentation)

Discussion

Light Energy Converters for Artificial Leafs

The workshop addressed and compared different absorber structures and the involved processes, perspectives and limitations for the optimized formation of the electrochemical potential difference of electrons and holes with maximized photocurrent.

Chairs

Prof. Shane Ardo (University of California, Irvine, US) and Prof. Wolfram Jägermann (TU Darmstadt, DE)

Agenda

Photochemical systems for artificial leafs

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Matthias Beller (Leibniz-Institut für Katalyse e.V. - LIKAT, DE) (download presentation)

Epitaxially grown photo absorbers for efficient solar fuels production 

Prof. Dr. Thomas Hannappel (TU Ilmenau, DE) (download presentation)

Redox reactions at semiconductor/solution interfaces: proton-coupled electron transfer?

(download presentation)

Photocathode design for CO₂ reduction: fundamental challenges and paths forward

Prof. Dr. Joel Ager (University of California Berkeley | Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory - LBNL, USA)

Discussion

Bio-based, bio-inspired & bio-hybrid systems

Chairs

Prof. Matthias Beller (Leibniz-Institut für Katalyse e.V. - LIKAT, DE) and Prof. Gary Brudvig (Yale University, US)

Agenda / Format

• Prof. Kara L. Bren - Professor of Chemistry at the University of Rochester
• Dr. David M. Tiede - Group Leader & Argonne Distinguished Fellow at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)
• Prof. Tobias Erb - Director of Department Biochemistry and Synthetic Metabolism at Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology
• Prof. Andreas Schmid - Head of Department of Solar Materials at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ)

Inorganic Electrocatalysts

Chairs

Prof. Daniel Esposito (Columbia University, US) and Prof. Ian Sharp (Technical University of Munich, DE)

Agenda / Format

• Prof. Thomas Jaramillo - Professor of Engineering at the Department of Chemical Engineering at Stanford University, Professor at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory & Director of SUNCAT Center for interface Science and Catalysis
• Prof. Beatriz Roldán Cuenya - Director of Interface Science Department at the Fritz-Haber-Institute of the Max-Planck-Society
• Prof. Holger Dau - Professor of Biophysics and Photosynthesis at the Freie Universität Berlin
• Prof. Aleksandra Vojvodic - Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania

Advanced characterization techniques, instrumentation and user facilities

Chairs

Prof. Lin X. Chen (Northwestern University | Argonne National Laboratory) and Prof. Beatriz Roldán Cuenya (Fritz-Haber-Institute of the Max Planck Society)

Agenda

Getting Inspiration from Natural Photosynthesis

Dr. Junko Yano (Senior Scientist and Devision Deputy for Science at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory - LBNL | Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis - JCAP, USA)

Operando Photoemission from Electrified Interfaces

Prof. Dr. Robert Schlögl (Founding Director of Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion | Director of Fritz-Haber-Institute of the Max Planck Society, DE)

Interactive Panel Discussion with the speakers

Linking Theory and Experiment in Artificial Photosynthesis

Chairs

Prof. Dr. Stefanie Gräfe (University of Jena) and Dr. Frances Houle (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)

Agenda / Format

• Prof. Dr. Ulrike Kramm (Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the Technical University Darmstadt)
• Prof. Dr. Vera Krewald (Professor of Theoretical Chemistry at the Technical University Darmstadt)
• Prof. Dr. Kyoung-Shin Choi (Professor of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison)
• Prof. Dr. Giulia Galli (Liew Family Professor of Electronic Structure and Simulations in the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering | Professor of Chemistry at the University of Chicago | Argonne National Laboratory)

Winter Poster Session 2021 on Artificial Photosynthesis

Die Poster Session has been held in gather.town . Find on overview of the submitted posters here.

Chairs

Prof. Jillian Dempsey (University of North Carolina) and Dr. Agnieszka Paszuk (Technical University of Ilmenau)

Interface engineering of semiconductors for photoelectrochemical cells

Fundamental knowledge can facilitate improvements needed for the coupling of highly selective and active catalysts to light harvesting elements, understanding the critical (solid-liquid) interface, and stabilizing integrated photoabsorber-catalyst systems. This workshop focused on the interfacial engineering of semiconductor device structures for photoelectrochemical cells.

Chairs:

Prof. Shane Ardo (University of California, Irvine, US) and Prof. Wolfram Jägermann (TU Darmstadt, DE)

Speakers:

• Prof. Gerald Meyer, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, CHASE Liquid Solar Fuels Hub, Director of Hub
• Prof. Dr. Roel van de Krol, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Institute for Solar Fuels, Head of Institute
• Dr. Matthias May, Universität Ulm and Universität Tübingen, Emmy-Noether group SPECSY   

Charge carrier dynamics in artificial photosynthesis

A deeper understanding of charge carrier dynamics in artificial photosynthesis must consider the interactions of all charge carriers - in the photo-absorber, at the interfaces, in the electrolyte, comprising catalysts and the critical solid-liquid interface. This workshop addresses aspects of different processes and timescales relevant in artificial photosynthesis. 

Chairs:

Prof. Lin X. Chen (Northwestern University | Argonne National Laboratory) and Prof. Thomas Hannappel (TU Ilmenau)

Speakers:

• Dr. Matthew Beard, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
• Prof. Tanja Cuk, University of Colorado Boulder
• Dr. Thomas Unold, Helmholtz-Center Berlin (HZB)
• Prof. Wolf Gero Schmidt, University Paderborn

Mechanistic aspects in photocatalysis

To reach the  goal of using the solar spectrum efficiently for artificial photosynthesis, a detailed understanding of the underlying mechanistic steps is necessary.  Such understanding will enable activity-limiting steps to be identified and eliminated, and improved catalysts and catalytic conditions to be specifically designed. In this workshop, the synergies between synthesis, spectroscopy, and theory in identifying key mechanistic steps in artificial photosynthesis have been be highlighted.

Chairs:

Prof. Dr. Stefanie Gräfe, Jena University & Dr. Frances Houle, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Speakers:

• Prof. Dr. Axel Groß, Universität Ulm
• Prof. Dr. Victor Batista, Yale University
• Prof. Dr. Ksenija Glusac, University of Illinois
• Prof. Dr. Gary Brudvig, Yale University
• Prof. Dr. Carsten Streb, Universität Ulm

Integrated Solar Fuel Generators: From Particles to Panels

Topics that have been covered in presentations and the panel discussion included (i) the status of integrated solar fuels-generating devices, (ii) key challenges or bottlenecks that currently limit translation of today's leading device concepts to large-scale pilot and commercial demonstrations, (iii) key materials research needs that would be most useful for overcoming device/plant level bottlenecks, and (iv) the need for continued innovation at the device level. As the final workshop of the first season, we hope that these device/application-oriented topics will build off of the preceding workshops on more fundamental research topics, and provide motivation for researchers in the solar fuels community to pursue fundamental and applied research activities that can accelerate artificial photosynthesis technologies towards real-world applications.

Chairs:

Verena Streibel, TU München & Daniel Esposito, Columbia University

Speakers:

• Rohini Bala Chandran, University of Michigan
• Fatwa Firdaus Abdi, Institut for Solar Fuels at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin
• Peter Agbo, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

High-throughput experiments and computation

Efficient and selective artificial photosynthesis is at its heart a materials challenge, and identifying new materials with improved properties is essential to make progress in the field. In this workshop experimental and theoretical programs for accelerated discovery of materials in the US and in Germany have been described, with a discussion of advances and opportunities.

Speakers:

• Dr. John Gregoire, Caltech
• Prof. Alfred Ludwig, Ruhr Universität Bochum
• Prof. Harald Oberhofer, Universität Bayreuth
• Dr. Kristin Persson, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboretory    

Poster Session for early career researchers

We are looking backto the presentation and discussion of 40 awesome posters. ThePoster Session was held in gather.town. Find on overview of the submitted posters here.

Multiscale modeling to connect the nanoscale to the macroscale

Chairs

Prof. Amanda J. Morris (Virginia Tech) and Dr. Sonya Calnan (Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin)

Agenda

Artificial Photosynthetic Systems: Modeling the Connections between the Molecular and the Macroscopic Scales

Dr. Frances Houle (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory - LBNL, USA)

Exploring Transport Effects on Electrocatalytic Selectivity

Dr. Vanessa Jane Bukas (Fritz-Haber-Institute of the Max Planck Society, DE)

Multi-Physics Modelings of Materials, Components and Systems for Electrochemical CO2 Capture and Conversion

Prof. Chengxiang (CX) Xiang (California Institute of Technology, USA)

Growth Regimes of Hydrogen Bubbles in Water Electrolysis: Phenomena and Underlying Forces

Prof. Kerstin Eckert (TU Dresden | Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf - HZDR, DE)

Discussion

Polymer-Based Light Absorbers and Conductors

Chairs

Dr. Frances Houle (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory - LBNL, USA) and Prof. Roel van de Krol (Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin)

Agenda

Redox-neutral Photocatalysis – Towards ideal chemical transformations

Prof. Burkhard König (Universität Regensburg, DE)

Photo(electro)catalysis with polymeric carbon nitrides

Prof. Radim Beránek (Ulm University, DE)

Soft PhotoElectroChemical Systems for Solar Fuels 

Prof. Erin Ratcliff (University of Arizona, USA)

Electronic dopants and surface modifiers for electronic and opto-electronics 

Prof. Seth Marder (University of Colorado Boulder, USA)

Discussion

Nitrogen Conversion

Chairs

Prof. Gary Brudvig (Yale University, USA) and Prof. Thomas Hannappel (TU Ilmenau, DE)

Agenda

Light-induced nitrogen reduction to ammonia with nanostructured semiconductors

Prof. Roland Marschall (Universität Bayreuth, DE)

Photocatalyst development for light-driven nitrogen activation via reductive or oxidative pathways

Prof. Jennifer Strunk (Leibniz-Institut für Katalyse e. V. - LIKAT, DE)

Enzymatic N₂ reduction driven by photoexcited nanocrystals

Prof. Gordana Dukovic (University of Colorado Boulder, USA)

Artificial Photosynthesis with Nitrogen at the Cathode? Lessons in (Photo)Electrocatalysis via Molecular Inorganic Systems

Prof. Jonas Peters (California Institute of Technology - Caltech, USA)

Discussion

Poster Session for early career researchers

We are looking forward to another round of poster presentations an fruitful discussions. Find on overview of the submitted posters here.

This workshop concluded the workshop series.