Lecture: Nano-photocatalytic Materials: Possibilities & Challenges

Lecturer: Professor YE Jinhua

Time: 16:00 PM

Date: October 30

Place: Meeting Room, 3rd Floor, Lihua Building

Organizer: National Engineering Research Center of Fine Petrochemical Intermediates & State Key Laboratory for Oxo Synthesis and Selective Oxidation

Introduction to Professor YE Jinhua:

Professor YE Jinhua received her bachelor’s degree from Zhejiang University in 1983, master’s degree and doctor’s degree from The University of Tokyo in 1987 and 1990 respectively. After graduation, she first joined Osaka University and then National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS). Since 2006 she has acted as the managing director of the Photocatalytic Materials Center, NIMS. Since 2011 she has acted as the managing director of the Environmental Remediation Materials Unit, NIMS.

For the past 10 years, Professor YIN Jinhua and her group have dedicated to the development of new highly efficient semi-conductor photo-catalytic materials and their application in solar energy conversion and environmental purification. They have undertaken several projects from the Japanese government and industrialization organizations. They have published more than 300 papers in Nature, Nature Materials, Phy. Rev. Lett., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., J. Am. Chem. Soc., Adv. Mater., Adv. Funct. Mater., ACS Nano with about 7000 citations.

Introduction to the contents of the lecture:

Semiconductor photocatalysis has received much attention as a potential solution to the worldwide energy shortage and for counteracting environmental degradation. This talk will introduce state-of-the-art research activities in the field, focusing on the scientific and technological possibilities offered by photocatalytic materials. A survey of efforts to explore suitable materials and to optimize their energy band configurations for specific applications, and the design and fabrication of advanced photocatalytic materials in the framework of nanotechnology will be introduced, taking examples of recent research activities in NIMS[1-9]. Many of the most recent advances in photocatalysis have been realized by selective control of the morphology of nanomaterials or by utilizing the collective properties of nano-assembly systems. The current theoretical understanding of key aspects of photocatalytic materials will be discussed. This talk will also highlight crucial issues that should be addressed in future research activities.

Selected publications of Professor YE Jinhua:

[1] Z. Yi, J. Ye, N. Kikugawa, T. Kako, et al., Nature Mater. 9, 559 (2010).

[2] S. Ouyang and J. Ye, J. Am. Chem. Soc.133, 7757 (2011).

[3] Y. Bi, S. Ouyang, N. Umezawa, J. Cao, J. Ye, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 133, 6490 (2011).

[4] H. Tong, N. Umezawa, J. Ye, T. Ohno, Energy Environ. Sci. 4, 1684 (2011).

[5] K. Xie, N. Umezawa, N. Zhang, J. Ye, et al., Energy Environ. Sci. 4, 4211 (2011).

[6] X Chen, J. Ye, S Ouyang, T. Kako, Z. Li, and Z. Zou, ACS Nano, 5(6), 4310 (2011).

[7] H. Tong, S. Ouyang, Y. Bi, N. Umezawa, M. Oshikiri, J. Ye, Adv. Mater., 24(2), 229 (2012).

[8] S. Ouyang, H. Tong, N. Umezawa, J. Cao, P. Li, Y. Bi, Y. Zhang, J. Ye, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 134, 1974 (2012).

[9] G. Xi, S. Ouyang, P. Li, J.Ye, et al., Angew Chem Int. Ed., 51, 2395 (2012).