Chemistry Colloquium: Dr. Kathryn Knowles

The Department of Chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences is pleased to welcome Dr. Kathryn Knowles, an Associate Professor at University of Rochester.

Title: Synthesis and Photophysics of First-Row Transition Metal Oxide Semiconductor Nanomaterials

Abstract

Metal oxide nanomaterials based on first-row transition metals are particularly attractive for applications in renewable energy technologies because (i) they absorb visible light, (ii) they are thermodynamically capable of performing desired photoredox chemistry, such as water oxidation and reduction of protons or carbon dioxide, and (iii) they are composed of inexpensive, relatively earth-abundant, nontoxic elements. Complete synthetic control of the size, shape, and crystal structure of first-row transition metal oxide nanomaterials combined with a thorough understanding how these properties influence their electrochemical and photophysical behavior is required to optimize their function in photocatalytic applications. This talk focuses on two areas of ongoing effort in our group motivated by these ideas. The first area investigates the role of organic ligands, solvent, and precursor chemistry in controlling the size, shape, composition, cation distribution, and crystal phase of first-row transition metal oxide nanocrystals synthesized at elevated pressure using solvothermal methods. The second project combines advanced spectroscopies with computational methods to investigate the impacts of strong carrier-phonon coupling on the photophysics of transition metal oxide semiconductors.