Photocathode chromophore-catalyst assembly via layer-by-layer deposition of a low band-gap isoindigo conjugated polyelectrolyte

College

College of Science

Department/Unit

Chemistry

Document Type

Article

Source Title

ACS Applied Energy Materials

Volume

1

Issue

1

First Page

62

Last Page

67

Publication Date

1-22-2018

Abstract

Low band-gap conjugated polyelectrolytes (CPEs) can serve as efficient chromophores for use on photoelectrodes for dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical cells. Herein is reported a novel CPE based on poly(isoindigo-co-thiophene) with pendant sodium butylsulfonate groups (PiIT) and its use in construction of layer-by-layer (LbL) chromophore-catalyst assemblies with a Pt-based H+ reduction catalyst (PAA-Pt) for water reduction. A novel Stille polymerization/postpolymerization ion-exchange strategy was used to convert an organic-soluble CPE to the water-soluble poly(isoindigo-co-thiophene). The anionic PiIT polyelectrolyte- and polyacrylate-stabilized Pt-nanoparticles (PAA-Pt) were codeposited with cationic poly(diallyldimethylammonium) chloride (PDDA) onto inverse opal (IO), nanostructured indium tin oxide film (nITO) (IO nITO) atop fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO), by using LbL self-assembly. To evaluate the performance of novel conjugated PiIT//PAA-Pt chromphore-catalyst assemblies, interassembly hole transfer was investigated by photocurrent density measurements on FTO//IO nITO electrodes. Enhanced cathodic photocurrent is observed for the polychromophore-catalyst assemblies, compared to electrodes modified with only PiIT, pointing toward photoinduced hole transfer from the excited PilT to the IO nITO. Prolonged photoelectrolysis experiments reveal H2 production with a Faradaic yield of approximately 45%. This work provides new routes to carry out visible-light-driven water reduction using photocathode assemblies based on low band-gap CPEs. Copyright © 2018 American Chemical Society.

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Digitial Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1021/acsaem.7b00223

Disciplines

Chemistry

Keywords

Polyelectrolytes; Photocathodes; Hydrogen evolution reaction; Polymerization; Solar energy

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