Highly Efficient Platinum-Free Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution From Low-cost Conjugated Polymer Nanoparticles
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 2025

While the interest in hydrogen photocatalysis from organic semiconductors is rapidly growing, there is a necessity to achieve hydrogen production without platinum (Pt), considering its price, availability and toxicity. In this work, this is demonstrated that high hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) efficiencies can be achieved without the use of Pt. A series of low-cost conjugated polymers are designed around the dibenzothiophene-S,S-sulfoxide (BTSO) unit, and self-assembled as nanoparticles in water via the nanoprecipitation technique. This is highlighted that how side chain engineering, nanoparticle morphology and pH influence the hydrogen evolution rate. Optoelectronic properties are improved through a Donor-Acceptor structure, resulting in an unprecedented hydrogen evolution reaction rate of 209 mmol g−1 h−1 in the absence of Pt. A clear correlation between high efficiencies and number of BTSO units within the polymer backbone can be established. The design rules pioneer the design of future organic materials is presented for a cost-efficient and sustainable hydrogen photocatalysis.

dibenzothiophene sulfone

hydrogen photocatalysis

Pt-free

aqueous dispersions

conjugated polymer

Författare

Alexandre Holmes

Chalmers, Kemi och kemiteknik, Tillämpad kemi

Jingwen Pan

Harbin Institute of Technology

Uppsala universitet

Li Wang

Changzhou University

Chalmers, Kemi och kemiteknik, Tillämpad kemi

Leandro Rezende Franco

Tillämpad kemi 8.2

Karlstads universitet

Rafael R. Bicudo

Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP)

Karlstads universitet

Uppsala universitet

Bo Albinsson

Chalmers, Kemi och kemiteknik, Kemi och biokemi

C. Moyses Araujo

Karlstads universitet

Uppsala universitet

W. G. Zhu

Changzhou University

Dongbo Wang

Harbin Institute of Technology

Thuc Quyen Nguyen

University of California

Jiefang Zhu

Uppsala universitet

Ergang Wang

Chalmers, Kemi och kemiteknik

Advanced Materials

09359648 (ISSN) 15214095 (eISSN)

Vol. In Press

Biologiskt nedbrytbara halvledande polymerer för transientelektronik

Formas (2023-01008), 2024-01-01 -- 2026-12-31.

Ämneskategorier (SSIF 2025)

Polymerkemi

DOI

10.1002/adma.202507702

Mer information

Senast uppdaterat

2025-08-05