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Researcher

Sammy Verbruggen

  • Research Expertise:The central research theme is photo(electro)chemistry for various energy and environmental applications. An important fundamental research line is that of plasmonic materials. This technology is approached holistically. The focus is on the fundamental level of surface chemistry (catalyst synthesis, surface modification (e.g. coatings), morphological design, simulating light-matter interaction, etc.), but other aspects such as reactor design, activity testing, social and economic aspects are also extensively studied. The main goal is to improve the photocatalytic activity of transition metal oxides by increasing their photon efficiency under sunlight. This can be done by modifying them with plasmonic nanoparticles. It is crucial to understand the underlying principles of this technology in order to develop successful applications. In addition, various energy and environmental applications of photo(electro)catalytic technology are studied. A very important application is that of energy conversion through hydrogen production, with a specific interest in the use of abundant or polluted sources, such as seawater or wastewater. Photocatalytic, photoelectrocatalytic and membraneless electrolytic technologies are studied in this context. In the field of environmental applications, the role of photo(electro)catalytic technology is studied in air purification (VOC, soot, NOx,...), CO2 conversion, and self-cleaning surfaces.
  • Keywords:COATINGS, PHOTOCATALYSIS, PHOTOELECTROCHEMICAL TREATMENT, PHOTODEGRADATION, AIR PURIFICATION, PLASMONS, NANOPARTICLES, HYDROGEN, Applied biological sciences, biotechnology
  • Disciplines:Renewable power and energy systems engineering, Energy conversion, Optical properties and interactions with radiation, Surfaces, interfaces, 2D materials, Spectroscopic methods, Optical properties of materials, Physical chemistry of materials, Synthesis of materials, Surface and interface chemistry, Catalysis, Photochemistry, Nanofabrication, growth and self assembly, Nanomaterials, Nanophotonics, Nanoscale characterisation, Heterogeneous catalysis, Air pollution and control, Environmental technologies
  • Research techniques:SYNTHESIS - Porous semiconductor metal oxides (e.g. TiO2) - Nanoparticles (gold, silver, bimetallic, core-shell nanostructures,…) - Composite materials - Coating techniques: spin coating, dip coating, … CHARACTERIZATION - Spectroscopy: UV-VIS, DRS, FTIR (transmission, in-situ and ATR) - Absolute irradiance measurements - Dynamic viscosity - Profilometry (layer thickness through step measurement, and surface roughness) - Theoretical simulations of light-mater interaction - Contact Angle measurements TESTING and DETECTION - Membraneless (photo)electrolyzers - Reactor design (flat bed, cylindrical (packed or not), spiral, photo-electrochemical cells) - Gas phase measurements in automated setup - ISO testing of photocatalytic materials (indoor and outdoor air purification, self-cleaning properties, antibacterial properties, water purification) - Degradation of soot / particulate matter through color detection - Analysis through in-line FTIR, VOC sensors, humidity sensors, GC-FID, GC-PDD for hydrogen gas, Quantum Cascade Laser for N-containing species
  • Users of research expertise:- Catalyst manufacturers - Companies with activities or interest in energy transition, specifically the production and use of green hydrogen (e.g. electrolyzer manufacturers, on-site production/use of H2,...) - Companies interested in functionalization of surfaces (e.g. glass, concrete, facade cladding materials,...) - Companies and governments interested in air purification strategies - Other academic or industrial research facilities