Organic photocatalysts enable efficient hydrogen production via Förster resonance energy transfer

Abstract

Photocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen production represents a highly promising technology for converting and storing solar energy, with photocatalytic active materials serving as a crucial component in a photocatalytic system. In this study, organic photovoltaic materials were employed as photocatalysts, and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) was introduced to induce efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. A mixture of D18 and QX-1 served as the base system, with the third component, IT-M, incorporated to facilitate FRET. The prepared thin film, when illuminated in a photochemical reaction system, achieved an average hydrogen evolution rate of 7430 µmol h⁻¹ m⁻² over 8 hours—15% higher than that of the D18:QX-1 control group (6460 µmol h⁻¹ m⁻²). This demonstrates that FRET effectively enhances the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance of organic photovoltaic materials, marking a significant advancement in the design of efficient organic photocatalysts.