Issue 41, 2022

Gold nanoparticle-based supramolecular approach for dye-sensitized H2-evolving photocathodes

Abstract

Solar conversion of water into the storable energy carrier H2 can be achieved through photoelectrochemical water splitting using light adsorbing anodes and cathodes bearing O2 and H2 evolving catalysts, respectively. Herein a novel photocathode nanohybrid system is reported. This photocathode consists of a dye-sensitized p-type nickel oxide (NiO) with a perylene-based chromophore (PCA) and a tetra-adamantane modified cobaloxime reduction catalyst (Co) that photo-reduces aqueous protons to H2. An original supramolecular approach was employed, using β-cyclodextrin functionalized gold nanoparticles (β-CD-AuNPs) to link the alkane chain of the PCA dye to the adamantane moieties of the cobaloxime catalyst (Co). This new architecture was investigated by photoelectrochemical measurements and via femtosecond-transient absorption spectroscopy. The results show that irradiation of the complete NiO|PCA|β-CD-AuNPs|Co electrode leads to ultrafast hole injection into NiO (π = 3 ps) from the excited dye, followed by rapid reduction of the catalyst, and finally H2 evolution.

Graphical abstract: Gold nanoparticle-based supramolecular approach for dye-sensitized H2-evolving photocathodes

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
27 8 2022
Accepted
23 9 2022
First published
23 9 2022
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Dalton Trans., 2022,51, 15716-15724

Gold nanoparticle-based supramolecular approach for dye-sensitized H2-evolving photocathodes

N. Lalaoui, M. Abdellah, K. L. Materna, B. Xu, H. Tian, A. Thapper, J. Sa, L. Hammarström and S. Ott, Dalton Trans., 2022, 51, 15716 DOI: 10.1039/D2DT02798D

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.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements