Dasog group research interests primarily lie in the preparation of nano- and micro-materials using solid-state reactions. These materials are used for the generation of energy, chemical fuels, and freshwater using sunlight. The materials prepared and their uses can be broadly classified under the following themes.
Plasmonics
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Plasmonic nanomaterials can strongly couple with light, enabling the confinement of incident radiation on the subwavelength-scale. Gold and silver have been studied extensively for plasmonic applications but these materials are not abundant in the Earth's crust. Our group is working on developing inexpensive ceramic plasmonic nanostructures primarily composed of transition metal nitrides and carbides. We are applying these plasmonic nanoparticles for desalination, water treatment, disinfection, and sensing purposes.
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Photocatalysis
Photocatalysis
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Photocatalysts can harvest solar energy which can then be used to make chemical fuels (such as hydrogen), degrade environmental contaminants, or for disinfection. A good photocatalyst would absorb most of the sunlight and carry out the desired chemical reaction at high efficiency. Our research group focuses on developing photocatalysts that are composed of Earth abundant elements and can absorb into the near-IR region. We engineer the morphology, porosity, crystallinity, and 3D nanostructuring of the photocatalyst nanoparticles to enhance carrier collection and improve the overall efficiency of the chemical reaction.
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Electrocatalysis
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Electrocatalysis provides an affordable and environmentally friendly path to produce energy, fuels, and chemicals. Our research group focuses on developing active, stable, and inexpensive electrocatalysts for hydrogen production, water oxidation, and ammonia generation. These reactions can be driven using energy obtained from renewable resources such as the sun. We also focus on converting industrial waste byproducts into electrocatalysts by designing solid-state reactions that allow precise control over the composition and morphology of the catalyst.
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Porous Nanomaterials
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Our group develops solid-state reactions that allow precise control over the pore size, shape, and size distribution of nanomaterials. These porous materials are used to adsorb environmental contaminants such as perfluorinated surfactants and heavy metal ions in water. Their use is also being explored in the conversion of carbon dioxide to value-added compounds, hydrodefluorination, and the conversion of NOx gases to nitrides and oxynitrides.
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