Title: Plasmon-Driven Photochemistry for the Synthesis of Metal Nanostructures
By: Prof. Joseph DuChene , Department of Chemistry, UMass Amherst
Abstract: Humanity is faced with the daunting task of meeting our ever-growing global demand for resources without causing irreparable ecological harm to our planet. To avoid catastrophic climate change requires a swift and dramatic shift away from fossil fuels towards a more sustainable energy portfolio. Unfortunately, the storage of such intermittent sources of renewable energy from sunlight and wind remains a considerable challenge. Taking inspiration from photosynthesis, we must learn to harness sunlight for the production of chemical fuels if we are to eventually establish a sustainable society. In this presentation, I will suggest strategies for tackling one of the greatest technological challenges of our time and share the latest results from my lab towards this goal. I will further outline our latest efforts towards the development of new methods for the synthesis of catalysts capable of capturing sunlight for solar-to-fuel energy conversion and conclude by highlighting new opportunities for steering the selectivity of catalytic processes along a desired reaction pathway.
