Solar-to-Hydrogen Lecture Series: Fundamentals and Development of Solar Hydrogen Generation
Dr Doudou Zhang, College of Engineering, Computing & Cybernetics, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
Abstract:
This is the first lecture in Solar-to-Hydrogen Lecture Series.
Green hydrogen, generated with renewable electricity through electrolysis that splits water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen, is well in line with net zero objectives. Australia is one of the most abundant nations with seawater and sunlight, given this, spurring the development of ‘green’ H2, dominating the high strategic policy for renewable energy, and pledging to carbon neutral in the next couple of decades.
The production of hydrogen through (photo)electrochemical water splitting has attracted significant research attention. In this lecture, we will provide a general overview of the history of hydrogen, including the origin of its different names, and explain the mechanisms for its production and evaluation of its conversion efficiency from water using different criteria. We will then review the current state of (photo)electrochemical hydrogen production, including the development process and status. Finally, we will discuss the critical role of catalysts in decomposing water molecules to produce hydrogen, with a focus on examples such as sputtered NiNx with rich N-vacancies, solution-corroded NiFeCo, and quasi-amorphous Ni fabricated through hydrothermal methods. The related optimization and characterization of these catalysts will also be addressed.
Bio:
Dr Doudou Zhang received her PhD degree from Shaanxi Normal University in 2018, where she was jointly supervised by academics from the Dalian Institute of Chemical and Physics during her master’s degree period (2013-2018). In late 2018, she completed a six-month term as an exchange PhD student at the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering at the University of New South Wales. Since 2019, Dr Zhang has been working as a Research Fellow at the Australian National University. She is currently involved in the ACT-H2 program, led by A/P Siva Karuturi.
Her research interests mainly focus on solar-driven electrochemical energy conversion, with a specific focus on earth-abundant and environmentally friendly transition-metal and metal oxide/hydroxides/oxyhydroxides for electrocatalysis. She also explores high activity, cost-effective thin films as cocatalysts decorated on semiconductors for solar fuel conversion, and nanostructured catalysts for electrocatalysis. Dr Zhang has authored and co-authored 25 top-tier refereed journal publications, including Energy & Environmental Science, Advanced Energy Materials, Chemical Society Review, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, and Advanced Functional Materials. She has 10 years of experience in catalyst fabrication, characterization, and microfabrication of devices.
As a woman in STEM, Dr Zhang thrives in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural environments and is deeply committed to climate change research and advocacy.
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- 116 Daley Road, Acton
- Australian National University
- Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
- Australia 2601
- Building: Gould building (#116)
- Room Number: Gould Seminar Room 235
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