Executive Summary : | Carbon dioxide emission is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. The substantial increase will result in a rise in global temperatures and significant changes in the global climate. CO2 can be converted into value-added chemicals and fuels using renewable energy is a promising way to reduce the atmospheric CO2 and in this regard, solar energy is considered as a clean, abundant, and free renewable energy source. Photoelectrochemical cells (PECs), which can convert sunlight and atmospheric CO2 directly to different gaseous and liquid fuels, are one of the most promising potential sources of alternative energy. As a result, the development of appropriate semiconductor materials will be a game-changer, allowing PECs to play their part in the energy-devices landscape. To date, metal-based materials have dominated the PEC area, and despite development, semiconductors that meet all of the severe requirements of PEC semiconductors do not exist today, and innovative materials are still in high demand. The goal of this project is to develop new strategies for highly active, selective, durable, and visible light photocatalyst and in this regard, the dispersion of single metal atoms on a suitable substrate, involving individual and isolated metal atoms stabilized on appropriate supports, has become one of the most innovative and energetic research frontiers in the photoelectrochemical carbon-di-oxide reduction reaction (PECCO2RR). Single transition metal atoms on the graphitic carbon nitride (GCN) support will be a promising photocatalyst for conversion of CO2 to value-added fuels. Understanding the growth mechanism of single TM metal atoms on the two-dimensional GCN layers at the molecular level is critical to achieving this goal, moreover, how the experimental parameters influence the selectivity of the products will be another goal to be achieved in this project. Finally, a photoelectrochemical device will be designed where solar energy will be converted into chemical energy and electrical energy simultaneously, hence, achieving high conversion efficiency will be the ultimate goal of the project. |