Issue 22, 2021

Efficient non-metal based conducting polymers for photocatalytic hydrogen production: comparative study between polyaniline, polypyrrole and PEDOT

Abstract

Incorporation of conducting polymers (CPs) with TiO2 is considered a promising pathway toward the fabrication of highly efficient non-metal based photocatalysts. Herein, we report the fabrication of TiO2@polyaniline, TiO2@polypyrrole, and TiO2@poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) photocatalyst heterostructures via the facile wet incipient impregnation method. The mass ratios of CPs in the composites were optimized. The structure, morphology, optical and surface texture of the samples were characterized by XRD, TEM, TGA, DRS, and N2-physisorption techniques. The TiO2@2PEDOT, TiO2@2PPy, and TiO2@5PAn composites were found to exhibit the highest H2 evolution rate (HER) of 1.37, 2.09, and 3.1 mmol h−1 g−1, respectively. Compared to bare TiO2, the HER was significantly enhanced by 16, 24, and 36-fold, respectively. Photoelectrochemical measurements (CV, CA and EIS) were conducted, to evaluate the photoelectric properties of the synthesized composites and assist in understanding the photocatalytic mechanism. The deposition method plays a key-role in forming the photocatalyst/CP interface. This simple impregnation route was found to provide an excellent interface for charge transfer between composite components compared to chemisorption and in situ polymerization methods. This study sheds light on the promising effect of CP incorporation with semiconductor photocatalysts, as a cheap and efficient matrix, on photocatalytic performance.

Graphical abstract: Efficient non-metal based conducting polymers for photocatalytic hydrogen production: comparative study between polyaniline, polypyrrole and PEDOT

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
14 feb 2021
Accepted
31 mrt 2021
First published
08 apr 2021
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

RSC Adv., 2021,11, 13229-13244

Efficient non-metal based conducting polymers for photocatalytic hydrogen production: comparative study between polyaniline, polypyrrole and PEDOT

H. M. El-Bery, M. R. Salah, S. M. Ahmed and S. A. Soliman, RSC Adv., 2021, 11, 13229 DOI: 10.1039/D1RA01218E

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