Nanostructured Group-III Nitrides for Photoelectrocatalytic Applications and Renewable Energy Harvesting

Abstract

Leveraging on the unique solar light absorption behavior, chemical stability, and piezoelectric properties, nanostructured group-III-nitrides were utilized for implementing various renewable energy harvesting and conversion applications. By using different dimensional nanostructures, especially nanowires, and nanoporous membranes, this dissertation explored the practical applications in photocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction, photocatalytic wastewater remediation, and flexible self-powered piezoelectric sensing.

Brief Biography

Huafan Zhang is currently a Ph.D. Student in the Photonics Laboratory. She obtained her BEng. (2017) in Electronic science and technology from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), Chengdu, China. She joined King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in the Fall of 2017 and achieved MSc in Electrical Engineering at KAUST in 2018. Her current research focuses on III-Nitride nanowire-based photoelectrochemical water splitting, radiative cooling for optoelectronic devices, and materials for water collections.