Regensburg 2022 – scientific programme

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HL: Fachverband Halbleiterphysik

HL 14: Focus Session: Quantum Properties at Functional Oxide Interfaces (joint session HL/DS)

HL 14.8: Invited Talk

Tuesday, September 6, 2022, 12:30–13:00, H34

Strain-driven dissociation of water on (incipient) ferroelectrics — Joshua L. Bates and •Chiara Gattinoni — Department of Chemical and Energy Engineering, London South Bank University, London, UK

Functional materials have great promise in catalysis, and especially within dynamic catalytic cycles, where the “functional” properties are used to cyclically modify the local environment of a surface to enhance turnover frequency. In particular, strain-driven mechanisms exploiting the properties of piezo- and ferroelectric materials, are of great interest.

In this work we focus on (incipient) ferroelectric nanomaterials BiFeO₃, BaTiO₃, KTaO₃ and SrTiO₃, perovskites presenting a wide range of bulk properties and behaviours. We uncover how interplay between these properties (such as the spontaneous polarization) and nanoscale effects (such as the depolarizing field and the surface structure), affect the strain-driven water-splitting abilities of these nanoscale functional materials. Finally, we identify the most desirable properties for a highly efficient ferroelectric material for dynamic catalysis.