Issue 1, 2019

Photoelectrocatalytic H2 evolution from integrated photocatalysts adsorbed on NiO

Abstract

A new approach to increasing the faradaic efficiency of dye-sensitised photocathodes for H2 evolution from water, using integrated photocatalysts, furnished with ester groups on the peripheral ligands, [Ru(decb)2(bpt)PdCl(H2O)](PF6)2 (1) and [Ru(decb)2(2,5-bpp)PtI(CH3CN)](PF6)2 (2), (decb = 4,4′-diethylcarboxy-2,2′-bipyridine, bpp = 2,2':5′,2′′-terpyridine, bpt = 3,5-bis(2-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazole) is described. Overall, 1|NiO is superior to previously reported photocathodes, producing photocurrent densities of 30–35 μA cm−2 at an applied bias of −0.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl over 1 hour of continuous white light irradiation, resulting in the generation of 0.41 μmol h−1 cm−2 of H2 with faradaic efficiencies of up to 90%. Furthermore, surface analysis of the photocathodes before and after photoelectrocatalysis revealed that the ruthenium bipyridyl chromophore and Pd catalytic centre (1) were photochemically stable, highlighting the benefits of the approach towards robust, hybrid solar-to-fuel devices.

Graphical abstract: Photoelectrocatalytic H2 evolution from integrated photocatalysts adsorbed on NiO

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
11 6 2018
Accepted
03 10 2018
First published
04 10 2018
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY license

Chem. Sci., 2019,10, 99-112

Photoelectrocatalytic H2 evolution from integrated photocatalysts adsorbed on NiO

N. Põldme, L. O'Reilly, I. Fletcher, J. Portoles, I. V. Sazanovich, M. Towrie, C. Long, J. G. Vos, M. T. Pryce and E. A. Gibson, Chem. Sci., 2019, 10, 99 DOI: 10.1039/C8SC02575D

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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