Issue 11, 2018

MOFs as an electron-transfer-bridge between a dye photosensitizer and a low cost Ni2P co-catalyst for increased photocatalytic H2 generation

Abstract

Weak interaction results in inefficient electron transfer from the photoexcited erythrosin B dye photosensitizer to H2 generation co-catalyst Ni2P, thereby leading to low H2 generation. To address this issue, UiO-66 MOFs were used as a suitable medium for enhancing the electron transfer process. The strong π–π interaction between the benzene rings of erythrosin B dye and UiO-66 ensures efficient electron transfer from the photoexcited erythrosin B dye to UiO-66. In addition, UiO-66 can serve as the substrate for growing the Ni2P co-catalyst. As a result, the erythrosin B dye/UiO-66/Ni2P system offers efficient electron transfer from erythrosin B dye to UiO-66, and to Ni2P, thereby resulting in an active H2 generation when compared to the erythrosin B dye and Ni2P system. The erythrosin B dye/UiO-66/Ni2P system with an optimum Ni2P amount of 0.69 wt% exhibits the highest H2 evolution rate of 65 μmol h−1. This value is nearly 5 times higher than that of the reference system without UiO-66 (13.8 μmol h−1). The present results show the great potential of MOFs as a porous medium for enhancing the photocatalytic H2 generation performance of conventional systems containing a photosensitizer and H2 generation co-catalyst.

Graphical abstract: MOFs as an electron-transfer-bridge between a dye photosensitizer and a low cost Ni2P co-catalyst for increased photocatalytic H2 generation

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
09 Apr 2018
Accepted
14 May 2018
First published
14 May 2018

Sustainable Energy Fuels, 2018,2, 2502-2506

MOFs as an electron-transfer-bridge between a dye photosensitizer and a low cost Ni2P co-catalyst for increased photocatalytic H2 generation

L. Wu, Y. Tong, L. Gu, Z. Xue and Y. Yuan, Sustainable Energy Fuels, 2018, 2, 2502 DOI: 10.1039/C8SE00168E

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