Enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from organic semiconductor heterojunction nanoparticles

Jan Kosco; Matthew Bidwell; Hyojung Cha; Tyler Martin; Calvyn T. Howells; Michael Sachs; Dalaver H. Anjum; Sandra Gonzalez Lopez; Lingyu Zou; Andrew Wadsworth; Weimin Zhang; Lisheng Zhang; James Tellam; Rachid Sougrat; Frédéric Laquai; Dean M. DeLongchamp; James R. Durrant; Iain McCulloch

doi:10.1038/s41563-019-0591-1

Enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from organic semiconductor heterojunction nanoparticles

Jan Kosco, Matthew Bidwell, Hyojung Cha, Tyler Martin, Calvyn T. Howells, Michael Sachs, Dalaver H. Anjum, Sandra Gonzalez Lopez, Lingyu Zou, Andrew Wadsworth, Weimin Zhang, Lisheng Zhang, James Tellam, Rachid Sougrat, Frédéric Laquai, Dean M. DeLongchamp, James R. Durrant, Iain McCulloch

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

407 Scopus citations

Abstract

Photocatalysts formed from a single organic semiconductor typically suffer from inefficient intrinsic charge generation, which leads to low photocatalytic activities. We demonstrate that incorporating a heterojunction between a donor polymer (PTB7-Th) and non-fullerene acceptor (EH-IDTBR) in organic nanoparticles (NPs) can result in hydrogen evolution photocatalysts with greatly enhanced photocatalytic activity. Control of the nanomorphology of these NPs was achieved by varying the stabilizing surfactant employed during NP fabrication, converting it from a core–shell structure to an intermixed donor/acceptor blend and increasing H₂ evolution by an order of magnitude. The resulting photocatalysts display an unprecedentedly high H₂ evolution rate of over 60,000 µmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹ under 350 to 800 nm illumination, and external quantum efficiencies over 6% in the region of maximum solar photon flux.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	559-565
Number of pages	7
Journal	Nature Materials
Volume	19
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-019-0591-1
State	Published - May 1 2020
Externally published	Yes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

General Chemistry
General Materials Science
Condensed Matter Physics
Mechanics of Materials
Mechanical Engineering

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10.1038/s41563-019-0591-1

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Kosco, J., Bidwell, M., Cha, H., Martin, T., Howells, C. T., Sachs, M., Anjum, D. H., Gonzalez Lopez, S., Zou, L., Wadsworth, A., Zhang, W., Zhang, L., Tellam, J., Sougrat, R., Laquai, F., DeLongchamp, D. M., Durrant, J. R., & McCulloch, I. (2020). Enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from organic semiconductor heterojunction nanoparticles. Nature Materials, 19(5), 559-565. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-019-0591-1

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title = "Enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from organic semiconductor heterojunction nanoparticles",

abstract = "Photocatalysts formed from a single organic semiconductor typically suffer from inefficient intrinsic charge generation, which leads to low photocatalytic activities. We demonstrate that incorporating a heterojunction between a donor polymer (PTB7-Th) and non-fullerene acceptor (EH-IDTBR) in organic nanoparticles (NPs) can result in hydrogen evolution photocatalysts with greatly enhanced photocatalytic activity. Control of the nanomorphology of these NPs was achieved by varying the stabilizing surfactant employed during NP fabrication, converting it from a core–shell structure to an intermixed donor/acceptor blend and increasing H2 evolution by an order of magnitude. The resulting photocatalysts display an unprecedentedly high H2 evolution rate of over 60,000 µmol h−1 g−1 under 350 to 800 nm illumination, and external quantum efficiencies over 6% in the region of maximum solar photon flux.",

author = "Jan Kosco and Matthew Bidwell and Hyojung Cha and Tyler Martin and Howells, {Calvyn T.} and Michael Sachs and Anjum, {Dalaver H.} and {Gonzalez Lopez}, Sandra and Lingyu Zou and Andrew Wadsworth and Weimin Zhang and Lisheng Zhang and James Tellam and Rachid Sougrat and Fr{\'e}d{\'e}ric Laquai and DeLongchamp, {Dean M.} and Durrant, {James R.} and Iain McCulloch",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.",

year = "2020",

month = may,

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doi = "10.1038/s41563-019-0591-1",

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Kosco, J, Bidwell, M, Cha, H, Martin, T, Howells, CT, Sachs, M, Anjum, DH, Gonzalez Lopez, S, Zou, L, Wadsworth, A, Zhang, W, Zhang, L, Tellam, J, Sougrat, R, Laquai, F, DeLongchamp, DM, Durrant, JR & McCulloch, I 2020, 'Enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from organic semiconductor heterojunction nanoparticles', Nature Materials, vol. 19, no. 5, pp. 559-565. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-019-0591-1

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AU - Kosco, Jan

AU - Bidwell, Matthew

AU - Cha, Hyojung

AU - Martin, Tyler

AU - Howells, Calvyn T.

AU - Sachs, Michael

AU - Anjum, Dalaver H.

AU - Gonzalez Lopez, Sandra

AU - Zou, Lingyu

AU - Wadsworth, Andrew

AU - Zhang, Weimin

AU - Zhang, Lisheng

AU - Tellam, James

AU - Sougrat, Rachid

AU - Laquai, Frédéric

AU - DeLongchamp, Dean M.

AU - Durrant, James R.

AU - McCulloch, Iain

PY - 2020/5/1

Y1 - 2020/5/1

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AB - Photocatalysts formed from a single organic semiconductor typically suffer from inefficient intrinsic charge generation, which leads to low photocatalytic activities. We demonstrate that incorporating a heterojunction between a donor polymer (PTB7-Th) and non-fullerene acceptor (EH-IDTBR) in organic nanoparticles (NPs) can result in hydrogen evolution photocatalysts with greatly enhanced photocatalytic activity. Control of the nanomorphology of these NPs was achieved by varying the stabilizing surfactant employed during NP fabrication, converting it from a core–shell structure to an intermixed donor/acceptor blend and increasing H2 evolution by an order of magnitude. The resulting photocatalysts display an unprecedentedly high H2 evolution rate of over 60,000 µmol h−1 g−1 under 350 to 800 nm illumination, and external quantum efficiencies over 6% in the region of maximum solar photon flux.

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Enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from organic semiconductor heterojunction nanoparticles

Abstract

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