Opening up new opportunities and building networks for the advancement of science and education in developing countries
Dr. Mirabbos Hojamberdiev (TWAS Young Affiliate from Uzbekistan) and Dr. Ronald Vargas (TWAS Young Affiliate from Venezuela) met for the first time at the 1st International Conference of TWAS Young Affiliates Network (TYAN), which was held on 22-24 August, 2017, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. During conference discussion, they found a common ground for strengthening international scientific collaboration and expanding frontiers in the generation of renewable and clean energy using solar light.
Hydrogen is clean and renewable energy alternative to carbon-based fossil fuels. Solar water splitting is regarded as one of the most environmentally friendly methods to produce hydrogen. In their first collaborative work that appeared in RSC’s Green Chemistry, they have utilized ZnS-containing waste from the mining-metallurgy industry for the synthesis of trigonal ZnIn2S4 layered crystals by a flux method using various binary fluxes. Unexpectedly, the UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectrum exhibited at the onset of the absorption edge at approximately 700 nm for trigonal ZnIn2S4 crystals. The flux-grown ZnIn2S4 crystals exhibited high solar H2 evolution rates due to efficient separation and transfer of photogenerated charge carriers.
