2 research outputs found
Enhancing the Performances of P3HT:PCBMāMoS<sub>3</sub>āBased H<sub>2</sub>āEvolving Photocathodes with Interfacial Layers
Organic semiconductors have great
potential for producing hydrogen in a durable and economically viable
manner because they rely on readily available materials and can be
solution-processed over large areas. With the objective of building
efficient hybrid organicāinorganic photoelectrochemical cells,
we combined a noble-metal-free and solution-processable catalyst for
proton reduction, MoS<sub>3</sub>, and a polyĀ(3-hexylthiophene):phenyl-C<sub>61</sub>-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PCBM) bulk heterojunction
(BHJ). Different interfacial layers were investigated to improve the
charge transfer between P3HT:PCBM and MoS<sub>3</sub>. Metallic Al/Ti
interfacial layers led to an increase of the photocurrent by up to
8 mA cm<sup>ā2</sup> at reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE)
potential with a 0.6 V anodic shift of the H<sub>2</sub> evolution
reaction onset potential, a value close to the open-circuit potential
of the P3HT:PCBM solar cell. A 50-nm-thick C<sub>60</sub> layer also
works as an interfacial layer, with a current density reaching 1 mA
cm<sup>ā2</sup> at the RHE potential. Moreover, two recently
highlighted figures-of-merit, measuring
the ratio of power saved, Ī¦<sub>saved,ideal</sub> and Ī¦<sub>saved,NPAC</sub>, were evaluated and discussed to compare the performances
of various photocathodes assessed in a three-electrode configuration.
Ī¦<sub>saved,ideal</sub> and Ī¦<sub>saved,NPAC</sub> use
the RHE and a nonphotoactive electrode with an identical catalyst
as the dark electrode, respectively. They provide different information
especially for differentiation of the roles of the photogenerating
layer and catalyst. The best results were obtained with the Al/Ti
metallic interlayer, with Ī¦<sub>saved,ideal</sub> and Ī¦<sub>saved,NPAC</sub> reaching 0.64% and 2.05%, respectively
Carbon Nanotube-Templated Synthesis of Covalent Porphyrin Network for Oxygen Reduction Reaction
The development of innovative techniques
for the functionalization
of carbon nanotubes that preserve their exceptional quality, while
robustly enriching their properties, is a central issue for their
integration in applications. In this work, we describe the formation
of a covalent network of porphyrins around MWNT surfaces. The approach
is based on the adsorption of cobaltĀ(II) <i>meso</i>-tetraethynylporphyrins
on the nanotube sidewalls followed by the dimerization of the triple
bonds via Hay-coupling; during the reaction, the nanotube acts as
a template for the formation of the polymeric layer. The material
shows an increased stability resulting from the cooperative effect
of the multiple Ļ-stacking interactions between the porphyrins
and the nanotube and by the covalent links between the porphyrins.
The nanotube hybrids were fully characterized and tested as the supported
catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in a series of electrochemical
measurements under acidic conditions. Compared to similar systems
in which monomeric porphyrins are simply physisorbed, MWNTāCoP
hybrids showed a higher ORR activity associated with a number of exchanged
electrons close to four, corresponding to the complete reduction of
oxygen into water