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Nickel‐Based Dye‐Sensitized Photocathode: Towards Proton Reduction Using a Molecular Nickel Catalyst and an Organic Dye
Author(s) -
van den Bosch Bart,
Rombouts Jeroen A.,
Orru Romano V. A.,
Reek Joost N. H.,
Detz Remko J.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
chemcatchem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.497
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1867-3899
pISSN - 1867-3880
DOI - 10.1002/cctc.201600025
Subject(s) - photocathode , catalysis , photochemistry , non blocking i/o , nickel , electrocatalyst , photocatalysis , electrochemistry , electron transfer , chemistry , inorganic chemistry , materials science , organic chemistry , electrode , electron , physics , quantum mechanics
To construct an efficient dye‐sensitized photo‐electrochemical tandem cell for hydrogen production, it is crucial to understand the working principles of both the photoanode and the photocathode. Herein, the anchoring of a proton‐reduction catalyst and an organic dye molecule on metal oxides is studied for the preparation of a photocathode. On TiO 2 , the Ni catalyst behaves as a good electrocatalyst (−250 μA cm −2 ) in acidic water (pH 2). The Ni catalyst and the organic dye were co‐immobilized on NiO to form a solely Ni‐based photocathode. The electron‐transfer steps were investigated by using various techniques (IR, UV/Vis, and fluorescence spectroscopy, and (photo)electrochemistry). Despite the observed successful single‐electron‐transfer steps between all of the components, photocatalysis did not yield any hydrogen gas. Possible bottlenecks that prevent photocatalytic proton reduction are poor electron transfer because of aggregation, charge recombination from the catalyst to the NiO, or instability of the catalyst after the first reduction.