Artificial photosynthesis to produce clean chemicalfuels, such as hydrogen, is widely considered as a promising route to mitigateenergy and environmental issues. Generally, an overall reaction involves threemajor steps: (i) absorption of light by semiconductor to generate electron-holepairs, (ii) separation of photogenerated charges and migration to the surfaceof semiconductor, and (iii) surface catalytic reactions for water reduction andoxidation. Photocatalytic reactions could be realized when above threesequential steps are completed. However, the photogenerated charge pairs arealways generated at a very fast timescale (fs-ps) while the charge separationand the charge utilization are always much slower than charge generation, whichis why this reaction is so challenging as it spans several orders of timescalefrom light absorption to fuels production. Facing the above challenging, theultimate goal of our research is to develop efficient artificial photocatalystssystem for solar to chemical conversion, particular emphasis will be focused onexploration of new mocro/nano structured photocatalyst, charge separationstrategy and rational design and assembling of cocatalysts for efficient solarenergy conversion.
Research Interests:
1. Explorationof New Semiconductor-based Photocatalysts for Water Splitting
2. Strategiesof Photogenerated Charge Separation in Artificial Photosynthesis and RationalDesigning of Dual-Cocatalysts in Photocatalysis
3. Investigationof Highly-efficient Cocatalysts in Photocatalysis.
Representative Papers：
1.Rengui Li, Fuxiang Zhang, Donge Wang, Jingxiu Yang, MingrunLi, Jian Zhu, Xin Zhou, Hongxian Han and Can Li. Spatial separation of photogeneratedelectrons and holes among {010} and {110} crystal facets of BiVO4. NatureCommun., 2013, 4:1432.
2.Rengui Li, Hongxian Han, Fuxiang Zhang, Donge Wang and CanLi. Highly efficient photocatalysts constructed by rational assembly ofdual-cocatalysts separately on different facets of BiVO4. EnergyEnviron. Sci., 2014, 7, 1369-1376.
3.Rengui Li, Yuxiang Weng, Xin Zhou, Xiuli Wang, Yang Mi,Ruifeng Chong, Hongxian Han and Can Li. Achieving overall water splitting usingtitanium dioxide-based photocatalysts of different phases. Energy Environ. Sci.,2015, 8, 2377-2382.
4. Linchao Mu, YueZhao, Ailong Li, Shengyang Wang, Zhiliang Wang, Jingxiu Yang, Yi Wang, TaifengLiu, Ruotian Chen, Jian Zhu, Fengtao Fan, RenguiLi*, Can Li*. Enhancing charge separation on high symmetry SrTiO3exposed with anisotropic facets for photocatalytic water splitting. EnergyEnviron. Sci., 2016, 9, 2463-2469.
5.Rengui Li, Xiuli Wang , Shaoqing Jin, Xin Zhou, ZhaochiFeng, Zheng Li, Jingying Shi, Qiao Zhang and Can Li. Photo-induced H2production from a CH3OH-H2O solution at quartz surface. ScientificReports，2015,5:13457.
6.Rengui Li, Xiaoping Tao, Ruotian Chen, Fengtao Fan and CanLi, Synergetic effect of dual-cocatalyst on the activity of p-type Cu2Ocrystal with anisotropic facets. Chem. Eur. J., 2015, DOI:10.1002/chem. 201502562.
7.Rengui Li, Zheng Chen, Wen Zhao, Fuxiang Zhang, KazuhikoMaeda, Baokun Huang, Shuai Shen, Kazunari Domen and Can Li.Sulfurization-assisted cobalt deposition on Sm2Ti2S2O5photocatalyst for water oxidation under visible light irradiation. J.Phys. Chem. C, 2013, 117,376-382.
8.Rengui Li, Yue Zhao and Can Li, Spatial distribution ofactive sites on ferroelectric PbTiO3 photocatalyst forphotocatalytic hydrogen production, Faraday Discus., 2017, DOI:10.1039/C6FD00199H.
9.Rengui Li and Can Li. Photocatalytic water splitting onsemiconductor-based photocatalysts, Adv. Catal., 2017, in press.(invited review)
