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Gaining fundamental knowledge of the factors which determine the activity of photocatalytically active materials, and performance of reactors in photocatalytic processes.
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Fundamentals of light absorption by semiconductors– including p-n junctions, band structure, Z-scheme configurations, and effects of structure of (supported) catalysts will be dealt with. Characterization of photocatalytic materials – physical, chemical and photoelectrochemical (QE, IPCE) will be briefly addressed. Regarding engineering of photocatalytic processes, we will discuss the effect of various reaction parameters, including temperature, pressure, slurry density, and photoreactor design on achievable rates and efficiency. Finally, kinetics including light intensity effects, and concentration effects will be discussed on the basis of practical examples in microreactors, including some tutorials on modeling of mass and light transfer effects. The students will have to summarize lectures in written essays, including discussion of recent scientific literature, as well as perform some modeling studies using Matlab aimed at understanding mass transfer and light transfer limitations in photocatalytic microreactors. Finally, the students are challenged to design a novel solar to fuel converter, and present the design in the form of an oral presentation, including discussion with experts and PhD students active in the field of photocatalysis.
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