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McQueen E, Bai Y, Sprick RS. Impact of Interfaces, and Nanostructure on the Performance of Conjugated Polymer Photocatalysts for Hydrogen Production from Water. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:4299. [PMID: 36500922 PMCID: PMC9739915 DOI: 10.3390/nano12234299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The direct conversion of sunlight into hydrogen through water splitting, and by converting carbon dioxide into useful chemical building blocks and fuels, has been an active area of research since early reports in the 1970s. Most of the semiconductors that drive these photocatalytic processes have been inorganic semiconductors, but since the first report of carbon nitride organic semiconductors have also been considered. Conjugated materials have been relatively extensively studied as photocatalysts for solar fuels generation over the last 5 years due to the synthetic control over composition and properties. The understanding of materials' properties, its impact on performance and underlying factors is still in its infancy. Here, we focus on the impact of interfaces, and nanostructure on fundamental processes which significantly contribute to performance in these organic photocatalysts. In particular, we focus on presenting explicit examples in understanding the interface of polymer photocatalysts with water and how it affects performance. Wetting has been shown to be a clear factor and we present strategies for increased wettability in conjugated polymer photocatalysts through modifications of the material. Furthermore, the limited exciton diffusion length in organic polymers has also been identified to affect the performance of these materials. Addressing this, we also discuss how increased internal and external surface areas increase the activity of organic polymer photocatalysts for hydrogen production from water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewan McQueen
- Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, Thomas Graham Building, 295 Cathedral Street, Glasgow G1 1XL, UK
| | - Yang Bai
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, Agency for Science Technology and Research, #08-03, 2 Fusionopolis Way, Innovis, Singapore 138634, Singapore
| | - Reiner Sebastian Sprick
- Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, Thomas Graham Building, 295 Cathedral Street, Glasgow G1 1XL, UK
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Thangamuthu M, Ruan Q, Ohemeng PO, Luo B, Jing D, Godin R, Tang J. Polymer Photoelectrodes for Solar Fuel Production: Progress and Challenges. Chem Rev 2022; 122:11778-11829. [PMID: 35699661 PMCID: PMC9284560 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Converting solar energy to fuels has attracted substantial interest over the past decades because it has the potential to sustainably meet the increasing global energy demand. However, achieving this potential requires significant technological advances. Polymer photoelectrodes are composed of earth-abundant elements, e.g. carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, which promise to be more economically sustainable than their inorganic counterparts. Furthermore, the electronic structure of polymer photoelectrodes can be more easily tuned to fit the solar spectrum than inorganic counterparts, promising a feasible practical application. As a fast-moving area, in particular, over the past ten years, we have witnessed an explosion of reports on polymer materials, including photoelectrodes, cocatalysts, device architectures, and fundamental understanding experimentally and theoretically, all of which have been detailed in this review. Furthermore, the prospects of this field are discussed to highlight the future development of polymer photoelectrodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madasamy Thangamuthu
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University College
London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, U.K.
| | - Qiushi Ruan
- School
of Materials Science and Engineering, Southeast
University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Peter Osei Ohemeng
- Department
of Chemistry, The University of British
Columbia, Okanagan Campus, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Bing Luo
- School
of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
- International
Research Center for Renewable Energy & State Key Laboratory of
Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi’an
Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Dengwei Jing
- International
Research Center for Renewable Energy & State Key Laboratory of
Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi’an
Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Robert Godin
- Department
of Chemistry, The University of British
Columbia, Okanagan Campus, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Junwang Tang
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University College
London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, U.K.
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Liu A, Gedda L, Axelsson M, Pavliuk M, Edwards K, Hammarström L, Tian H. Panchromatic Ternary Polymer Dots Involving Sub-Picosecond Energy and Charge Transfer for Efficient and Stable Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:2875-2885. [PMID: 33541077 PMCID: PMC7917435 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c12654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Panchromatic ternary polymer dots (Pdots) consisting of two conjugated polymers (PFBT and PFODTBT) based on fluorene and benzothiadiazole groups, and one small molecular acceptor (ITIC) have been prepared and assessed for photocatalytic hydrogen production with the assistance of a Pt cocatalyst. Femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopic studies of the ternary Pdots have revealed both energy and charge transfer processes that occur on the time scale of sub-picosecond between the different components. They result in photogenerated electrons being located mainly at ITIC, which acts as both electron and energy acceptor. Results from cryo-transmission electron microscopy suggest that ITIC forms crystalline phases in the ternary Pdots, facilitating electron transfer from ITIC to the Pt cocatalyst and promoting the final photocatalytic reaction yield. Enhanced light absorption, efficient charge separation, and the ideal morphology of the ternary Pdots have rendered an external quantum efficiency up to 7% at 600 nm. Moreover, the system has shown a high stability over 120 h without obvious degradation of the photocatalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aijie Liu
- Department
of Chemistry-Ångström Lab., Uppsala University, Box 523, SE 751 20, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lars Gedda
- Department
of Chemistry-Ångström Lab., Uppsala University, Box 523, SE 751 20, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Martin Axelsson
- Department
of Chemistry-Ångström Lab., Uppsala University, Box 523, SE 751 20, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mariia Pavliuk
- Department
of Chemistry-Ångström Lab., Uppsala University, Box 523, SE 751 20, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Katarina Edwards
- Department
of Chemistry-Ångström Lab., Uppsala University, Box 523, SE 751 20, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Leif Hammarström
- Department
of Chemistry-Ångström Lab., Uppsala University, Box 523, SE 751 20, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Haining Tian
- Department
of Chemistry-Ångström Lab., Uppsala University, Box 523, SE 751 20, Uppsala, Sweden
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Celiker T, Suerkan A, Altinisik S, Akgun M, Koyuncu S, Yagci Y. Hollow microspherical carbazole-based conjugated polymers by photoinduced step-growth polymerization. Polym Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1039/d1py00822f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
A new photochemical approach for the synthesis of metal-free three-dimensional hollow spherical conjugated polymers is described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tugba Celiker
- Istanbul Technical University, Department of Chemistry, 34469, Maslak, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ali Suerkan
- Istanbul Technical University, Department of Chemistry, 34469, Maslak, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Sinem Altinisik
- Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Department of Chemical Engineering, 17100, Canakkale, Turkey
| | - Mert Akgun
- Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Science and Technology Application and Research Center, 17100, Canakkale, Turkey
| | - Sermet Koyuncu
- Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Department of Chemical Engineering, 17100, Canakkale, Turkey
| | - Yusuf Yagci
- Istanbul Technical University, Department of Chemistry, 34469, Maslak, Istanbul, Turkey
- Faculty of Science, Chemistry Department, King Abdulaziz University, 21589 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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In-situ grown rod-shaped Ni(OH)2 between interlayer of g-C3N4 for hydrogen evolution under visible light. INORG CHEM COMMUN 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.inoche.2020.108264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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