New Concepts for Solar Energy Conversion

The sustainable production of clean fuels by carbon-neutral technologies is one of the key challenges of today‘s society and a major thrust of modern materials chemistry. A focal point of our research is the development of high-performance and environmentally benign photo- and electrocatalysts for water splitting, carbon dioxide reduction, and nitrogen fixation. Central to our efforts is the exploration of novel non-metal semiconductor photo- and electrocatalysts such as polymeric carbon nitrides and covalent organic frameworks, and the development of new concepts for photo(electro)catalysis. These include processes that make us independent of the intermittency of solar irradiation (“dark photocatalysis”), and the development of “solar batteries” capable of direct solar energy storage right in the absorber material.

Key Publications