Bio-inspired charge separation, on demand

Natural photosynthesis channels energy with exquisite spatial control: light is harvested, excitations split into charges, and those charges are steered to the exact sites where chemistry happens. We aim to emulate these core principles with novel colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals as programmable light-harvesting and charge-handling units. By engineering nanocrystal composition and surface chemistry, we aim to direct charge separation and deliver electrons and holes to precisely chosen partners (catalysts, electrodes, molecular acceptors and donors) while suppressing recombination.