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Bruce brunschwig

Principal Investigator

Email: bsb@caltech.edu

Dr. Brunschwig’s research interests include:  investigating methods to convert sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to chemical fuels for artificial photosynthesis; materials characterization of semiconductor, semiconductor photoelectrodes, and solid state catalysts; passivation of semiconductor surfaces; interfacing of catalysts to semiconductor surfaces; studies of homogeneous and heterogeneous thermal and photoinduced electron-transfer reactions; dark and light induced electron transfer between semiconductors and redox couples in solution; kinetics and mechanism of the oxidation and reduction of water to produce dihydrogen and dioxygen; and spectroscopy of charge-transfer transitions in solution and on semiconductor nanoparticles.

Within JCAP, Dr. Brunschwig is aiding in the discovery and characterization of photoanode materials, as well as the development and characterization of engineered interface layers between photoelectrodes and catalysts, and the integration of photoanodes and photocathodes.

Recent Publications

Moreno-Hernandez, I., Brunschwig, B., Lewis, N. Crystalline nickel, cobalt, and manganese antimonates as electrocatalysts for the chlorine evolution reaction. Energy Environ. Sci., DOI: 10.1039/C8EE03676D (2019).

Francis, S., Velazquez, J., Ferrer, I., Torelli, D., Guevarra, D., McDowell, M., Sun, K., Zhou, X., Saadi, F., John, J., Richter, M., Hyler, F., Papadantonakis, K., Brunschwig, B., Lewis, N. Reduction of aqueous CO2 to 1-Propanol at MoS2 electrodes. Chem. Mater., DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.7b04428 (2018).

Moreno-Hernandez, I., Brunschwig, B., Lewis, N. Tin Oxide as a Protective Heterojunction with Silicon for Efficient Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation in Strongly Acidic or Alkaline Electrolytes. Advanced Energy Materials, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.201801155 (2018).

Sun, K., Ritzert, N. L., John, J., Tan, H., Hale, W., Joang, J., Moreno-Hernandez, I. A., Papadantonakis, K., Moffat, T., Brunschwig, B., Lewis, N. Performance and Failure Modes of Si Anodes Patterned with Thin-Film Ni Catalyst Islands for Water Oxidation. Sustainable Energy and Fuels, DOI: 10.1039/C7SE00583K (2018).

Moreno-Hernandez, I. A., MacFarland, C. A., Read, C. G., Brunschwig, B. S., Papadantonakis, K. M., and Lewis, N. Crystalline Nickel Manganese Antimonate as a Stable Water-Oxidation Catalyst in Aqueous 1.0 M H2SO4. Energy&Environmental Science, DOI: 10.1039/C7EE01486D (2017).

Nellist, M. R. et al. Atomic force microscopy with nanoelectrode tips for high resolution electrochemical, nanoadhesion and nanoelectrical imaging. Nanotechnology, 28(9), 095711, https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6528/aa5839 (2017).

Wiensch, J. D., John, J., Valazquez, J. M., Torelli, D. A., Pieterick, A. P., McDowell, M. T., Sun, K., Zhao, X., Brunschwig, B. S., Lewis, N. S. Comparative Study in Acidic and Alkaline Media of the Effects of pH and Crystallinity on the Hydrogen-Evolution Reaction on MoS2 and MoSe2. ACS Energy Letters, 2, 2234-2238, DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.7b00700 (2017).

Lichterman, M. F. et al. Direct Observation of the Energetics at a Semiconductor/Liquid Junction byOperando X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy. Energy Environ. Sci., 2015, DOI: 10.1039/C5EE01014D(2015).

McDowell, M. T. et al. The Influence of Structure and Processing on the Behavior of TiO2 Protective Layers for Stabilization of n-Si/TiO2/Ni Photoanodes for Water Oxidation. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces,DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5b00379 (2015).

Soriaga, M. P. et al. Electrochemical surface science twenty years later: Expeditions into the electrocatalysis of reactions at the core of artificial photosynthesis. Surface Science 631, 285-294, DOI: 10.1016/j.susc.2014.06.028 (2015).

Sun, K. et al. Sputtered NiOx Films for Stabilization of p+n-InP Photoanodes for Solar-Driven Water Oxidation. Advanced Energy Materials, DOI: 10.1002/aenm.201402276 (2015).

Sun, K. et al. Stable solar-driven oxidation of water by semiconducting photoanodes protected by transparent catalytic nickel oxide films. PNAS 112, 12, 3612–3617, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1423034112(2015).

Sun, K. et al. Stable Solar-Driven Water Oxidation to O2(g) by Ni-Oxide-Coated Silicon Photoanodes. The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters 6, 592-598, DOI: 10.1021/jz5026195 (2015).

Velazquez, J. M. et al. Synthesis and hydrogen-evolution activity of tungsten selenide thin films deposited on tungsten foils. Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry 716, 45-48, DOI: 10.1016/j.jelechem.2013.11.030 (2014).

For a complete list of publications, see JCAP publications page.

Additional Information

Molecular Materials Research Center:  http://mmrc.caltech.edu/