Chemistry and Biochemistry Seminar- Matt Capobianco, PhD

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is pleased to invite you to an upcoming seminar featuring Matt Capobianco, PhD, from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Dr. Capobianco will be presenting his research in a talk titled “Heterostructure Materials for Environmental Photochemical Applications."

Food will be served.
This event is approved for 1 Compass point.

Matt Capobianco, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Chemistry has the power to alleviate many of the negative environmental effects that mankind has created such as water pollution and climate change. Combating these issues requires strategically designing new and improved chemical systems. Heterostructures are a combination of two or more materials that can enhance charge separation, allowing for more efficient systems. In the Capobianco lab, we look to design heterostructures for photochemical applications and understand their photophysical properties; this presentation highlights two of our projects. (1) Molybdenum based photocatalysts have been utilized to photocatalytically degrade organic pollutants. We look to utilize alloyed molybdenum tungsten photocatalysts for the degradation of persistent organic pollutants. In doing so we have explored different synthetic conditions in synthesizing molybdenum photocatalysts and confirmed successful syntheses through spectroscopic techniques. (2) Quantum dots (QDs) are nanoscale materials that are size-tunable which alter their optical properties. QD sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) utilize QDs photosensitizers to absorb light from the sun and then transfer an excited electron to a metal oxide and ultimately creating a current. We aim to create greener quantum dot sensitized TiO2photoanodes that can be utilized in QDSSCs. To date, we have shown preliminary attachment of carbon QDs to TiO2 nanoparticulate films. Ultimately, our work shows the power that heterostructure materials have in helping society.