광전자나노소재 연구실

Direct conversion of solar energy into solar fuels as a form of chemical energy at molecular level (e.g., solar H2 production) by photoelectrodes is a promising approach to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and enable long-term energy storage, given the stability and transportability of chemical fuels. Optoelectronic Nanomaterials Engineering Laboratory (ONEL) is directed to designing novel organic semiconductors (OSs) and establishing their roles as promising materials for various solar fuel productions. More importantly, ONEL employs an all-in-one concept incorporating material design, preparation, characterization, and demonstration of diverse platforms for solar-driven energy conversion in a single lab. By leveraging this, ONEL carries out autonomous and systematic research with the aim of demonstrating next-generation OS-photoelectrodes and OS-photocatalysts for efficient and long-lasting production of solar fuels. To mitigate the climate change effect, achieving a sustainable energy economy cannot be overstated. In this context, attaining H2 economy is one of the promising approaches as H2 can be converted into electrical energy using a fuel cell or transformed into chemical feedstocks on a global scale. However, when it comes to conventional hydrogen production, there is a controversy. The most common method for producing hydrogen is steam-methane reforming where 9.3 kg of carbon dioxide is generated along with 1 kg of H2 production. Clearly, it’s not a sustainable system. In this regard, for the last few decades, research efforts have been dedicated to the demonstration of H2 production by utilizing renewable energy. Among possible approaches, producing H2 by splitting water using sunlight is a sustainable way, considering abundant water and enormous solar e