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Molecular Engineering of Conjugated Polybenzothiadiazoles for Enhanced Hydrogen Production by Photosynthesis
Author(s) -
Yang Can,
Ma Beatriz Chiyin,
Zhang Linzhu,
Lin Sen,
Ghasimi Saman,
Landfester Katharina,
Zhang Kai A. I.,
Wang Xinchen
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.201603532
Subject(s) - photosynthesis , conjugated system , hydrogen production , production (economics) , hydrogen , chemistry , biochemical engineering , nanotechnology , environmental science , materials science , engineering , biochemistry , organic chemistry , polymer , economics , macroeconomics
The search for metal‐free organic photocatalysts for H 2 production from water using visible light remains a key challenge. Reported herein is a molecular structural design of pure organic photocatalysts, derived from conjugated polybenzothiadiazoles, for photocatalytic H 2 evolution using visible light. By alternating the substitution position of the electron‐withdrawing benzothiadizole unit on the phenyl unit as a comonomer, various polymers with either one‐ or three‐dimensional structures were synthesized and the effect of the molecular structure on their catalytic activity was investigated. Photocatalytic H 2 evolution efficiencies up to 116 μmol h −1 were observed by employing the linear polymer based on a phenyl‐benzothiadiazole alternating main chain, with an apparent quantum yield (AQY) of 4.01 % at 420 nm using triethanolamine as the sacrificial agent.