Issue 81, 2016, Issue in Progress

Effects of the symmetry and carboxyl anchoring group of zinc phthalocyanine derivatives on g-C3N4 for photosensitized H2 production

Abstract

Zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) derivatives containing bulky 2,6-diphenylphenoxy peripheral substituents with different structures and symmetries are used as sensitizers of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) for photocatalytic H2 production. It is found that an A2BC type asymmetrical ZnPc derivative (Zn-di-PcNcTh-1) containing four 2,6-diphenylphenoxy substituents, a thiophene unit and a fused benzene ring bearing one carboxylic group shows an obvious red-shift in the Q-band absorption with a broader absorption spectrum as compared to its symmetrical analogue (Zn-tetrad-Pc-1) containing eight 2,6-diphenylphenoxy substituents. The asymmetrical Zn-di-PcNcTh-1 with an additional carboxyl group exhibits a higher dye-loaded amount and stable grafting on g-C3N4 than the symmetrical Zn-tetrad-Pc-1, and thus causing more efficient interfacial electron transfer in Zn-di-PcNcTh-1/g-C3N4. Especially, an impressively high apparent quantum yield (3.05%) can be obtained under 730 nm monochromatic light irradiation, higher than that (1.14%) of Zn-tetrad-Pc-1 without a carboxyl group. The present results not only provide a significant advance in the molecular engineering aspect of ZnPc derivatives for effectively utilizing the red/near-IR light of sunlight, but also exhibits a promising strategy for improving the solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency.

Graphical abstract: Effects of the symmetry and carboxyl anchoring group of zinc phthalocyanine derivatives on g-C3N4 for photosensitized H2 production

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
19 Jun 2016
Accepted
10 Aug 2016
First published
10 Aug 2016

RSC Adv., 2016,6, 77366-77374

Effects of the symmetry and carboxyl anchoring group of zinc phthalocyanine derivatives on g-C3N4 for photosensitized H2 production

S. Song, Y. Guo, T. Peng, J. Zhang and R. Li, RSC Adv., 2016, 6, 77366 DOI: 10.1039/C6RA15890K

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