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Tsai T, Chen Y, Chang C, Lai Y. Further investigation of conjugated length and dispersity on light‐driven hydrogen evolution facilitated by conjugated polymers. J CHIN CHEM SOC-TAIP 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/jccs.202300020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tien‐Liang Tsai
- Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering National Taiwan University Taipei Taiwan
| | - Yen‐Yu Chen
- Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering National Taiwan University Taipei Taiwan
| | - Cheng‐Hao Chang
- Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering National Taiwan University Taipei Taiwan
| | - Yu‐Ying Lai
- Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering National Taiwan University Taipei Taiwan
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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] [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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Huang L, Mo C, Qu A, Chen Y. The effects of terminal groups on the structure and photocatalytic performance of imine-linked conjugated polymers. J Photochem Photobiol A Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotochem.2022.114481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Zhu Y, Chen Q, Wang C, Xin Y, Wang L, Yi Y, Zhang Z, Tang Y, Wang Z. Side-chain engineering for high degradation performance of mandrel materials in ICF target fabrication. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:25420-25425. [PMID: 36250547 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp03324k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The exploration of mandrel materials with superior degradation performance to the traditionally adopted hydrocarbon polymer of poly-α-methylstyrene (PAMS), has always been an important pursuit for fabricating high-quality inertial confinement fusion (ICF) targets. Here, we propose a method to enhance the degradation performance of mandrel material based on side-chain engineering. A series of hydrocarbon cyclic functional groups, including cyclopentane, cyclopentadiene, naphthalene and azulene, are used to replace the benzene ring on the side chain of PAMS to form new polymer structures. The results show that the degradation performance of structures can be largely regulated by different side chains. In particular, one of the naphthalene-substituted structures has similar properties to PAMS, but the required degradation condition is lower. Furthermore, the reaction rate calculations indicate that this structure is expected to be synthesized experimentally. This work provides a direction for side-chain engineering for research into the key technology of ICF target fabrication in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhu
- Institute of Atomic and Molecular Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China.
| | - Qiang Chen
- Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900, China.
| | - Chaoyang Wang
- Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900, China.
| | - Yue Xin
- Institute of Atomic and Molecular Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China.
| | - Lu Wang
- Institute of Atomic and Molecular Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China.
| | - Yong Yi
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental-friendly Energy Materials, School of Material Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China
| | - Zhanwen Zhang
- Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900, China.
| | - Yongjian Tang
- Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental-friendly Energy Materials, School of Material Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China
| | - Zhigang Wang
- Institute of Atomic and Molecular Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China.
- College of Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
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Chang CL, Lin WC, Ting LY, Shih CH, Chen SY, Huang TF, Tateno H, Jayakumar J, Jao WY, Tai CW, Chu CY, Chen CW, Yu CH, Lu YJ, Hu CC, Elewa AM, Mochizuki T, Chou HH. Main-chain engineering of polymer photocatalysts with hydrophilic non-conjugated segments for visible-light-driven hydrogen evolution. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5460. [PMID: 36115857 PMCID: PMC9482619 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33211-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Photocatalytic water splitting is attracting considerable interest because it enables the conversion of solar energy into hydrogen for use as a zero-emission fuel or chemical feedstock. Herein, we present a universal approach for inserting hydrophilic non-conjugated segments into the main-chain of conjugated polymers to produce a series of discontinuously conjugated polymer photocatalysts. Water can effectively be brought into the interior through these hydrophilic non-conjugated segments, resulting in effective water/polymer interfaces inside the bulk discontinuously conjugated polymers in both thin-film and solution. Discontinuously conjugated polymer with 10 mol% hexaethylene glycol-based hydrophilic segments achieves an apparent quantum yield of 17.82% under 460 nm monochromatic light irradiation in solution and a hydrogen evolution rate of 16.8 mmol m−2 h−1 in thin-film. Molecular dynamics simulations show a trend similar to that in experiments, corroborating that main-chain engineering increases the possibility of a water/polymer interaction. By introducing non-conjugated hydrophilic segments, the effective conjugation length is not altered, allowing discontinuously conjugated polymers to remain efficient photocatalysis. The introduction of hydrophilic segments into the main-chain of polymer photocatalysts allows water to efficiently enter the interior through these hydrophilic segments, and results in effective water/polymer interfaces for hydrogen evolution.
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Electrospun Donor/Acceptor Nanofibers for Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution. NANOMATERIALS 2022; 12:nano12091535. [PMID: 35564245 PMCID: PMC9101664 DOI: 10.3390/nano12091535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
We prepared a series of one-dimensional conjugated-material-based nanofibers with different morphologies and donor/acceptor (D/A) compositions by electrospinning for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. It was found that homogeneous D/A heterojunction nanofibers can be obtained by electrospinning, and the donor/acceptor ratio can be easily controlled. Compared with the single-component-based nanofibers, the D/A-based nanofibers showed a 34-fold increase in photocatalytic efficiency, attributed to the enhanced exciton dissociation in the nanofibrillar body. In addition, the photocatalytic activity of these nanofibers can be easily optimized by modulating the diameter. The results show that the diameter of the nanofibers can be conveniently controlled by the electrospinning feed rate, and the photocatalytic effect increases with decreasing fiber diameter. Consequently, the nanofibers with the smallest diameter exhibit the most efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution, with the highest release rate of 24.38 mmol/(gh). This work provides preliminary evidence of the advantages of the electrospinning strategy in the construction of D/A nanofibers with controlled morphology and donor/acceptor composition, enabling efficient hydrogen evolution.
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Wang JL, Ouyang G, Wang D, Li J, Yao J, Li WS, Li H. Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance of Donor–Acceptor-Type Polymers Based on a Thiophene-Contained Polycyclic Aromatic Unit. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c00316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jin-long Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Self-Assembly Chemistry for Organic Functional Molecules, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Guangcheng Ouyang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Self-Assembly Chemistry for Organic Functional Molecules, University of Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Dewei Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Self-Assembly Chemistry for Organic Functional Molecules, University of Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Jia Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Energy Regulation Materials, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Jianhua Yao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Energy Regulation Materials, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Wei-Shi Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Self-Assembly Chemistry for Organic Functional Molecules, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Hongxiang Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Self-Assembly Chemistry for Organic Functional Molecules, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200030, China
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Institute of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, No. 130 Meilong Rd, Shanghai, 200237, China
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Bai Y, Hu Z, Jiang JX, Huang F. Hydrophilic Conjugated Materials for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution. Chem Asian J 2020; 15:1780-1790. [PMID: 32293789 DOI: 10.1002/asia.202000247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 04/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution is viewed as a promising green strategy to utilize the inexhaustible solar energy and provide clean hydrogen fuels with zero-emission characteristic. The nature of semiconductor-based photocatalysts is the key point to achieve efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Conjugated materials have been recently emerging as a novel class of photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution and photocatalytic reactions due to their electronic properties can be well controlled via tailor-made chemical structures. Hydrophilic conjugated materials, a subgroup of conjugated materials, possess multiple advantages for photocatalytic applications, thus spurring remarkable progress on both material realm and photocatalytic applications. This minireview aims to provide a brief review of the recent developments of hydrophilic conjugated polymers/small molecules for photocatalytic applications, and special concern on the rational molecular design and their impact on photocatalytic performance will be reviewed. Perspectives on the hydrophilic conjugated materials and challenges to their applications in the photocatalytic field are also presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanqing Bai
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, P.R. China
| | - Zhicheng Hu
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, P.R. China
| | - Jia-Xing Jiang
- Key Laboratory for Macromolecular Science of Shaanxi Province, Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Advanced Energy Devices, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710062, P. R. China
| | - Fei Huang
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, P.R. China
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