Prof. Tai-Chu Lau

Détails

Le professeur Tai-Chu Lau (City University of Hong-Kong), en visite durant trois jours dans l'UFR (12 au 14 décembre), donnera un séminaire intitulé:

Chemical and Visible Light-Driven Water Oxidation Catalyzed by Cobalt and Iron Complexes

Mercredi 12 décembre à 14h30 , en 774 (Lavoisier)

Chemical and Visible Light-Driven Water Oxidation Catalyzed by Cobalt and Iron Complexes

Tai-Chu Lau
Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Hong Kong, P. R. China. Email: bhtclau__at__cityu.edu.hk

ABSTRACT
In recent decades, extensive efforts have been devoted by chemists to develop efficient, cost effective methods for solar-driven water splitting, which would provide an ideal source of carbon neutral, renewable energy. The development of efficient transition-metal catalysts for water oxidation is considered as the bottleneck for water splitting. In order to be economically viable, the catalysts should be made from earth abundant materials. We present here our recent results on thermal and visible-light induced water oxidation catalyzed by a number of cobalt and iron complexes and salts at pH 7-9. In chemical water oxidation [Ru(bpy)3]3+ was used as the oxidant. In visible light-induced water oxidation [Ru(bpy)3]2+ was used as the photosensitizer and S2O82- as the sacrificial oxidant. Our main findings are: 1) In iron catalyzed water oxidation, Fe2O3 nanoparticles are formed which are the actual catalyst for water oxidation. 2) The complex [CoII(qpy)(OH2)2]2+ (qpy = 2,2’:6’,2”:6”,2”’-quaterpyridine) is an efficient catalyst for both water oxidation and proton reduction.

Bio sketch : Prof T C Lau received his BSc and PhD from the University of Hong Kong. He previously took up postdoctoral research work at Stanford University and the University of Houston, USA. His current research interests and specialism include inorganic synthesis, kinetics and mechanisms of inorganic redox reactions, metal catalysed oxygenation and nitrogenation of hydrocarbons, synthesis and magnetic properties of coordination polymers.