Volume 1, 2023

Advances in organic semiconductors for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction

Abstract

Using semiconductor materials for solar-driven hydrogen production is a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. Organic photocatalysts, composed of elements abundantly available on earth, offer the advantage over their inorganic counterparts due to their capacity for electronic property modulation through molecular engineering. However, our understanding of the critical properties of their photocatalytic redox processes has yet to keep pace, hindering further development toward a cost-competitive technology. Here, we expound upon our present comprehension of the microscopic mechanisms underlying organic semiconductor photocatalysis. This article provides an overview of the current state of organic photocatalyst hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), beginning with a description of the charge transfer model of organic semiconductors. We then analyze the excitonic behavior after photoexcitation and present various control strategies aimed at enhancing the efficiency of organic semiconductor photocatalytic hydrogen production. Additionally, we summarize the research progress of conjugated supramolecular and polymeric organic photocatalysts. Finally, we evaluate the efficiency and stability of organic photocatalyst HER.

Graphical abstract: Advances in organic semiconductors for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
28 fev 2023
Accepted
17 apr 2023
First published
22 apr 2023
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

EES. Catal., 2023,1, 333-352

Advances in organic semiconductors for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction

Y. Guo, Q. Zhou, B. Zhu, C. Y. Tang and Y. Zhu, EES. Catal., 2023, 1, 333 DOI: 10.1039/D3EY00047H

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications, without requesting further permission from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given and it is not used for commercial purposes.

To request permission to reproduce material from this article in a commercial publication, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party commercial publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements