Photocathodes beyond NiO: charge transfer dynamics in a π-conjugated polymer functionalized with Ru photosensitizers
Abstract A conductive polymer (poly(p-phenylenevinylene), PPV) was covalently modified with RuII complexes to develop an all-polymer photocathode as a conceptual alternative to dye-sensitized NiO, which is the current state-of-the-art photocathode in solar fuels research. Photocathodes require effic...
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| Autores principales: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Formato: | article |
| Lenguaje: | EN |
| Publicado: |
Nature Portfolio
2021
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://doaj.org/article/9a04f15eb5e3486d934ccb2afd9c3d19 |
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| Sumario: | Abstract A conductive polymer (poly(p-phenylenevinylene), PPV) was covalently modified with RuII complexes to develop an all-polymer photocathode as a conceptual alternative to dye-sensitized NiO, which is the current state-of-the-art photocathode in solar fuels research. Photocathodes require efficient light-induced charge-transfer processes and we investigated these processes within our photocathodes using spectroscopic and spectro-electrochemical techniques. Ultrafast hole-injection dynamics in the polymer were investigated by transient absorption spectroscopy and charge transfer at the electrode–electrolyte interface was examined with chopped-light chronoamperometry. Light-induced hole injection from the photosensitizers into the PPV backbone was observed within 10 ps and the resulting charge-separated state (CSS) recombined within ~ 5 ns. This is comparable to CSS lifetimes of conventional NiO-photocathodes. Chopped-light chronoamperometry indicates enhanced charge-transfer at the electrode–electrolyte interface upon sensitization of the PPV with the RuII complexes and p-type behavior of the photocathode. The results presented here show that the polymer backbone behaves like classical molecularly sensitized NiO photocathodes and operates as a hole accepting semiconductor. This in turn demonstrates the feasibility of all-polymer photocathodes for application in solar energy conversion. |
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