Synthesis of photocatalysts and their application in the removal of NO and VOCs

In the lab, I was once again deeply drawn to another project led by Professor Zhang — also utilizing photocatalysts, but this time aimed at removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air. I applied to join the research group to further deepen my understanding of photocatalyst applications.

​

During the summer vacation of 10th grade, I fully immersed myself in Professor Zhang’s laboratory. There, I learned how to prepare and synthesize catalytic materials and the evaluation methods for photocatalytic reactions. Within the team, I voluntarily took on repetitive experiments and the analysis of extensive experimental data. Though these tasks were tedious, I improved my experimental skills and gained more intuitive insights into the performance of the catalysts.

​

Through continuous study and experiments, a sudden idea struck me: since acetone and methylbenzene have active sites (a special feature), could we activate the active sites of acetone and toluene to enable selective adsorption by the catalyst, thereby improving adsorption efficiency? Though it was just a simple idea, Professor Zhang and my research team immediately designed multiple experimental approaches around it. In the end, we brought this idea to reality successfully. When Professor Zhang mentioned submitting our research paper to Science Advances and insisted on including my name in the author list, I got a strong sense of achievement for my very first published article. I really appreciate then entire research team.