The production of hydrogen from water using a catalyst and solar energy is an ideal future energy source, independent of fossil reserves. For an economical use of water and solar energy, catalysts that are sufficiently efficient, stable, inexpensive and capable of harvesting light are required. Here, we show that an abundant material, polymeric carbon nitride, can produce hydrogen from water under visible-light irradiation in the presence of a sacrificial donor. Contrary to other conducting polymer semiconductors, carbon nitride is chemically and thermally stable and does not rely on complicated device manufacturing. The results represent an important first step towards photosynthesis in general where artificial conjugated polymer semiconductors can be used as energy transducers.

/pdf/a-metal-free-polymeric-photocatalyst-for-hydrogen-production-2134rsr8pe.pdf

A metal-free polymeric photocatalyst for hydrogen production from water under visible light

Titanium Dioxide Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Properties, Modifications, and Applications

2.3. Evaluation of Photocatalytic Water Splitting 6507 2.3.1. Photocatalytic Activity 6507 2.3.2. Photocatalytic Stability 6507 3. UV-Active Photocatalysts for Water Splitting 6507 3.1. d0 Metal Oxide Photocatalyts 6507 3.1.1. Ti-, Zr-Based Oxides 6507 3.1.2. Nb-, Ta-Based Oxides 6514 3.1.3. W-, Mo-Based Oxides 6517 3.1.4. Other d0 Metal Oxides 6518 3.2. d10 Metal Oxide Photocatalyts 6518 3.3. f0 Metal Oxide Photocatalysts 6518 3.4. Nonoxide Photocatalysts 6518 4. Approaches to Modifying the Electronic Band Structure for Visible-Light Harvesting 6519

Semiconductor-based Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation

Jenny Schneider,*,† Masaya Matsuoka,‡ Masato Takeuchi,‡ Jinlong Zhang, Yu Horiuchi,‡ Masakazu Anpo,‡ and Detlef W. Bahnemann*,† †Institut fur Technische Chemie, Leibniz Universitaẗ Hannover, Callinstrasse 3, D-30167 Hannover, Germany ‡Faculty of Engineering, Osaka Prefecture University, 1 Gakuen-cho, Sakai Osaka 599-8531, Japan Key Lab for Advanced Materials and Institute of Fine Chemicals, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China

Understanding TiO2 photocatalysis: mechanisms and materials.

Photoinduced reactivity of titanium dioxide

Reference LPI-ARTICLE-1982-004doi:10.1021/ja00375a010View record in Web of Science Record created on 2006-02-21, modified on 2017-05-12

Visible light induced water cleavage in colloidal solutions of chromium-doped titanium dioxide particles

A bifunctional redox catalyst, composed of Pt and RuO2 co-deposited on a colloidal TiO2 carrier, is a highly potent mediator for water decomposition by visible light1. The system contains apart from the sensitizer (Ru(bipy)2+3) an electron relay—methylviologen. The latter is reduced on light excitation, and the photoreaction is coupled with catalytic steps2 generating H2 and O2 from water. To rationalize the surprisingly high efficiency of this photoredox system, we proposed a mechanism involving species adsorbed at the TiO2 surface. This led us to explore sensitizers which through suitable functionalization show an enhanced affinity for adsorption at the particle–water interface. We describe here the performance of electron relay-free systems capable of efficiently decomposing water into H2 and O2 under visible light illumination. A bifunctional redox catalyst composed of RuO2 and Pt co-supported on colloidal TiO2 particles is used. The only other component present is a sensitizer. Amphiphilic surfactant derivatives of Ru(bipy)2+3 exhibit extremely high activity in promoting the water cleavage process. Adsorption of the sensitizer at the TiO2 particle–water interface and electron ejection into the TiO2 conduction band are evoked to explain the observations. Exposure to UV radiation leads to efficient water cleavage in the absence of sensitizer.

Photochemical cleavage of water by photocatalysis

Reference LPI-ARTICLE-1981-008doi:10.1021/ja00411a010View record in Web of Science Record created on 2006-02-21, modified on 2017-05-12

Sustained water cleavage by visible light

The performance of a new cofunctional redox catalyst which achieves astonishingly high quantum yields in the water splitting process is described. The new catalyst contains Pt and RuO/sub 2/ codeposited on a common carrier, i.e., colloidal TiO/sub 2/.

Mario Visca

Papers

Visible light induced water cleavage in colloidal solutions of chromium-doped titanium dioxide particles

Photochemical cleavage of water by photocatalysis

Sustained water cleavage by visible light

Cyclic Water Cleavage by Visible Light: Drastic Improvement of Yield of H2 and O2 with Bifunctional Redox Catalysts†

Hydrogen from hydrogen sulfide cleavage. Improved efficiencies via modification of semiconductor particulates