Noble metal-free hydrogen-evolving photocathodes based on small molecule organic semiconductors

Organic semiconductors have great potential for producing hydrogen in a sustainable and economically-viable manner because they rely on readily available materials with highly tunable properties. We demonstrate here the relevance of heterojunctions to the construction of H2-evolving photocathodes, e...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nanotechnology 2016-09, Vol.27 (35), p.355401-355401
Main Authors: Morozan, A, Bourgeteau, T, Tondelier, D, Geffroy, B, Jousselme, B, Artero, V
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
amorphous molybdenum sulfide
Chemical Sciences
Chlorides
Economics
Evolution
hydrogen evolution reaction (HER)
Material chemistry
Molybdenum sulfides
organic photovoltaic
Organic semiconductors
photocathode
Photocathodes
Photocurrent
planar heterojunction
small organic molecule semiconductors
Sustainability
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Summary:Organic semiconductors have great potential for producing hydrogen in a sustainable and economically-viable manner because they rely on readily available materials with highly tunable properties. We demonstrate here the relevance of heterojunctions to the construction of H2-evolving photocathodes, exclusively based on earth-abundant elements. Boron subnaphthalocyanine chloride proved a very promising acceptor in that perspective. It absorbs a part of the solar spectrum complementary to -sexithiophene as a donor, thus generating large photocurrents and providing a record onset potential for light-driven H2 evolution under acidic aqueous conditions using a nanoparticulate amorphous molybdenum sulfide catalyst.
ISSN:0957-4484
1361-6528
DOI:10.1088/0957-4484/27/35/355401