Functionalized Linear Conjugated Polymer/TiO<sub>2</sub> Heterojunctions for Significantly Enhancing Photocatalytic H<sub>2</sub> Evolution
Conjugated polymers (CPs) have attracted much attention in recent years due to their structural abundance and tunable energy bands. Compared with CP-based materials, the inorganic semiconductor TiO<sub>2</sub> has the advantages of low cost, non-toxicity and high photocatalytic hydrogen...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Molecules |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/29/5/1103 |
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| author | Hao Gong Yuqin Xing Jinhua Li Shiyong Liu |
| author_facet | Hao Gong Yuqin Xing Jinhua Li Shiyong Liu |
| author_sort | Hao Gong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Conjugated polymers (CPs) have attracted much attention in recent years due to their structural abundance and tunable energy bands. Compared with CP-based materials, the inorganic semiconductor TiO<sub>2</sub> has the advantages of low cost, non-toxicity and high photocatalytic hydrogen production (PHP) performance. However, studies on polymeric-inorganic heterojunctions, composed of D-A type CPs and TiO<sub>2</sub>, for boosting the PHP efficiency are still rare. Herein, an elucidation that the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity can actually be improved by forming polymeric-inorganic heterojunctions <b>TFl@TiO<sub>2</sub></b>, <b>TS@TiO<sub>2</sub></b> and <b>TSO<sub>2</sub>@TiO<sub>2</sub></b>, facilely synthesized through efficient in situ direct C–H arylation polymerization, is given. The compatible energy levels between virgin TiO<sub>2</sub> and polymeric semiconductors enable the resulting functionalized CP@TiO<sub>2</sub> heterojunctions to exhibit a considerable photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate (HER). Especially, the HER of <b>TSO<sub>2</sub>@TiO<sub>2</sub></b> heterojunction reaches up to 11,220 μmol g<sup>−1</sup> h<sup>−1</sup>, approximately 5.47 and 1260 times higher than that of pristine <b>TSO<sub>2</sub></b> and TiO<sub>2</sub> photocatalysts. The intrinsic merits of a donor-acceptor conjugated polymer and the interfacial interaction between CP and TiO<sub>2</sub> account for the excellent PHP activity, facilitating the separation of photo-generated excitons. Considering the outstanding PHP behavior, our work discloses that the coupling of inorganic semiconductors and suitable D-A conjugated CPs would play significant roles in the photocatalysis community. |
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| series | Molecules |
| spelling | doaj.art-8e40b77ae743479da7e07954adca05b32024-03-12T16:51:05ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492024-02-01295110310.3390/molecules29051103Functionalized Linear Conjugated Polymer/TiO<sub>2</sub> Heterojunctions for Significantly Enhancing Photocatalytic H<sub>2</sub> EvolutionHao Gong0Yuqin Xing1Jinhua Li2Shiyong Liu3Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Materials Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, ChinaJiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Materials Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, ChinaJiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Materials Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, ChinaJiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Materials Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, ChinaConjugated polymers (CPs) have attracted much attention in recent years due to their structural abundance and tunable energy bands. Compared with CP-based materials, the inorganic semiconductor TiO<sub>2</sub> has the advantages of low cost, non-toxicity and high photocatalytic hydrogen production (PHP) performance. However, studies on polymeric-inorganic heterojunctions, composed of D-A type CPs and TiO<sub>2</sub>, for boosting the PHP efficiency are still rare. Herein, an elucidation that the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity can actually be improved by forming polymeric-inorganic heterojunctions <b>TFl@TiO<sub>2</sub></b>, <b>TS@TiO<sub>2</sub></b> and <b>TSO<sub>2</sub>@TiO<sub>2</sub></b>, facilely synthesized through efficient in situ direct C–H arylation polymerization, is given. The compatible energy levels between virgin TiO<sub>2</sub> and polymeric semiconductors enable the resulting functionalized CP@TiO<sub>2</sub> heterojunctions to exhibit a considerable photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate (HER). Especially, the HER of <b>TSO<sub>2</sub>@TiO<sub>2</sub></b> heterojunction reaches up to 11,220 μmol g<sup>−1</sup> h<sup>−1</sup>, approximately 5.47 and 1260 times higher than that of pristine <b>TSO<sub>2</sub></b> and TiO<sub>2</sub> photocatalysts. The intrinsic merits of a donor-acceptor conjugated polymer and the interfacial interaction between CP and TiO<sub>2</sub> account for the excellent PHP activity, facilitating the separation of photo-generated excitons. Considering the outstanding PHP behavior, our work discloses that the coupling of inorganic semiconductors and suitable D-A conjugated CPs would play significant roles in the photocatalysis community.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/29/5/1103organic-inorganic heterojunctionsdirect C–H arylation polymerizationphotocatalysislinear donor–acceptor conjugated polymersvisible-light-driven hydrogen evolution |
| spellingShingle | Hao Gong Yuqin Xing Jinhua Li Shiyong Liu Functionalized Linear Conjugated Polymer/TiO<sub>2</sub> Heterojunctions for Significantly Enhancing Photocatalytic H<sub>2</sub> Evolution Molecules organic-inorganic heterojunctions direct C–H arylation polymerization photocatalysis linear donor–acceptor conjugated polymers visible-light-driven hydrogen evolution |
| title | Functionalized Linear Conjugated Polymer/TiO<sub>2</sub> Heterojunctions for Significantly Enhancing Photocatalytic H<sub>2</sub> Evolution |
| title_full | Functionalized Linear Conjugated Polymer/TiO<sub>2</sub> Heterojunctions for Significantly Enhancing Photocatalytic H<sub>2</sub> Evolution |
| title_fullStr | Functionalized Linear Conjugated Polymer/TiO<sub>2</sub> Heterojunctions for Significantly Enhancing Photocatalytic H<sub>2</sub> Evolution |
| title_full_unstemmed | Functionalized Linear Conjugated Polymer/TiO<sub>2</sub> Heterojunctions for Significantly Enhancing Photocatalytic H<sub>2</sub> Evolution |
| title_short | Functionalized Linear Conjugated Polymer/TiO<sub>2</sub> Heterojunctions for Significantly Enhancing Photocatalytic H<sub>2</sub> Evolution |
| title_sort | functionalized linear conjugated polymer tio sub 2 sub heterojunctions for significantly enhancing photocatalytic h sub 2 sub evolution |
| topic | organic-inorganic heterojunctions direct C–H arylation polymerization photocatalysis linear donor–acceptor conjugated polymers visible-light-driven hydrogen evolution |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/29/5/1103 |
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