Plasma Synthesis of Polymer‐Capped Dye‐Sensitised Anatase Nanopowders for Visible‐Light‐Driven Hydrogen Evolution. Issue 1 (26th November 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kruth, Angela; Hansen, Sven; Beweries, Torsten; Brüser, Volker; Weltmann, Klaus‐Dieter
• Is Part Of: ChemSusChem. Volume 6:Issue 1(2013:Jan.)
• Page Start: 152
• Page End: 159
• Publication Date: 2012-11-26
• Subjects: Green chemistry -- Periodicals; Sustainable engineering -- Periodicals; Chemistry -- Periodicals; Chemical engineering -- Periodicals; 660
• DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201200408
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1864-5631

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" xml:lang="en"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>Visible‐light‐driven photocatalysis is currently attracting a great deal of attention because of its potential application in solar water splitting. However, the development of efficient and durable catalyst systems is still a challenging problem. In Ru dye‐sensitised TiO₂ nanopowders, catalyst performances are found to decline as a result of poor bonding of the dye molecule to the TiO₂ surface and subsequent detachment and self‐aggregation of the dye. Our strategy to improve the stability of the dye–TiO₂ interface is the encapsulation of the dye/TiO₂ assembly in an amino‐group‐containing polyallylamine layer anchored to TiO₂. A low‐pressure pulsed microwave discharge plasma polymerization process was employed to coat a commercial anatase nanopowder with a thin polyallylamine layer to nanoconfine the adsorbed dye molecules. Electron microscopy and UV/Vis spectroscopy was carried out to characterise the resulting encapsulated nanostructures. The long‐term stability of the new nanomaterial as the photoactive component of a water reduction catalyst system for H₂ evolution investigated in a slurry reactor under visible‐light irradiation showed stable evolution rates over a period of several days.</p> </abstract>