Photocatalytic water splitting using solar irradiation has the potential to produce sustainable hydrogen fuel on a large scale. Practical solar energy conversion requires the development of new, stable photocatalysts that operate efficiently under a broad range of visible wavelengths. Organic semiconductors are increasingly being employed as photocatalysts due to their earth abundance, aqueous stability, and optical absorptions that can be tuned to the solar spectrum. However, much remains unknown about the mechanism of organic semiconductor photocatalysis, and significant efficiency improvements need to be made before organic photocatalysts can achieve practical solar energy conversion.
In chapter 2 the effect of residual Pd on hydrogen evolution activity in conjugated polymer photocatalysts was systematically investigated using colloidal poly(9,9- dioctylfluorene-alt-benzothiadiazole) (F8BT) nanoparticles (NPs). Residual Pd, originating from the synthesis of F8BT via Pd catalysed polycondensation polymerisation, was observed in the form of homogenously distributed Pd NPs within the polymer. Residual Pd was essential for any hydrogen evolution to be observed from this polymer, and very low Pd concentrations (
| Date of Award | Oct 2019 |
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| Original language | English (US) |
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| Awarding Institution | - Physical Sciences and Engineering
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| Supervisor | Iain Mcculloch (Supervisor) |
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- Photocatalysis
- Hydrogen evolution
- organic Photocatalyst