Limiting Molecular Twisting: Upgrading a Donor–Acceptor Dye to Drive H2 Evolution

Abstract The donor–acceptor (D–A) dye 4‐(bis‐4‐(5‐(2,2‐dicyano‐vinyl)‐thiophene‐2‐yl)‐phenyl‐amino)‐benzoic acid (P1) has been frequently used to functionalize NiO photocathodes and induce photoelectrochemical reduction of protons when coupled to a suitable catalyst. Photoinduced twisting of the P1...

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Main Authors: Kaijian Zhu, Ainoa Paradelo Rodríguez, Maria B. Brands, Titus deHaas, Francesco Buda, Joost N.H. Reek, Guido Mul, Annemarie Huijser
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-10-01
Series:Advanced Science
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202403454
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author Kaijian Zhu
Ainoa Paradelo Rodríguez
Maria B. Brands
Titus deHaas
Francesco Buda
Joost N.H. Reek
Guido Mul
Annemarie Huijser
author_facet Kaijian Zhu
Ainoa Paradelo Rodríguez
Maria B. Brands
Titus deHaas
Francesco Buda
Joost N.H. Reek
Guido Mul
Annemarie Huijser
author_sort Kaijian Zhu
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The donor–acceptor (D–A) dye 4‐(bis‐4‐(5‐(2,2‐dicyano‐vinyl)‐thiophene‐2‐yl)‐phenyl‐amino)‐benzoic acid (P1) has been frequently used to functionalize NiO photocathodes and induce photoelectrochemical reduction of protons when coupled to a suitable catalyst. Photoinduced twisting of the P1 dye is steered on NiO by co‐adsorption of tetradecanoic acid (C14, myristic acid (MA)). Density Functional Theory and time‐resolved photoluminescence studies confirm that twisting lowers the energy levels of the photoexcited D–A dye. The apolar environment provided by the MA suppresses photoinduced D–A twisting, retards charge recombination following photoinduced charge separation between P1 and NiO, and provides a larger electrochemical potential increasing the photocurrent. Very interestingly, co‐adsorption of MA induces H2 evolution upon photoexcitation without the presence of an H2 evolution catalyst. Based on prior art, the formation of H2 is assigned to the dissolution of Ni2+, followed by reduction and re‐deposition of Ni nanoparticles acting as the catalytically active site. It propose that only excited P1 with suppressed twisting provides the sufficient electrochemical potential to induce deposition of Ni nanoparticles. The work illustrates the importance of understanding the effects of photoinduced intramolecular twisting and highlights the promise of designing twisting‐limited D–A dyes to create efficient solar fuel devices.
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spelling doaj-art-bd2b4139491841a1ab67222eb2fdfe782025-08-20T02:11:59ZengWileyAdvanced Science2198-38442024-10-011140n/an/a10.1002/advs.202403454Limiting Molecular Twisting: Upgrading a Donor–Acceptor Dye to Drive H2 EvolutionKaijian Zhu0Ainoa Paradelo Rodríguez1Maria B. Brands2Titus deHaas3Francesco Buda4Joost N.H. Reek5Guido Mul6Annemarie Huijser7PhotoCatalytic Synthesis Group MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology University of Twente P.O. Box 217 Enschede 7500 AE The NetherlandsPhotoCatalytic Synthesis Group MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology University of Twente P.O. Box 217 Enschede 7500 AE The Netherlandsvan ‘t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences University of Amsterdam Science Park 904 Amsterdam 1098 XH The NetherlandsLeiden Institute of Chemistry Leiden University P.O. Box 9502 Leiden 2300 RA The NetherlandsLeiden Institute of Chemistry Leiden University P.O. Box 9502 Leiden 2300 RA The Netherlandsvan ‘t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences University of Amsterdam Science Park 904 Amsterdam 1098 XH The NetherlandsPhotoCatalytic Synthesis Group MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology University of Twente P.O. Box 217 Enschede 7500 AE The NetherlandsPhotoCatalytic Synthesis Group MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology University of Twente P.O. Box 217 Enschede 7500 AE The NetherlandsAbstract The donor–acceptor (D–A) dye 4‐(bis‐4‐(5‐(2,2‐dicyano‐vinyl)‐thiophene‐2‐yl)‐phenyl‐amino)‐benzoic acid (P1) has been frequently used to functionalize NiO photocathodes and induce photoelectrochemical reduction of protons when coupled to a suitable catalyst. Photoinduced twisting of the P1 dye is steered on NiO by co‐adsorption of tetradecanoic acid (C14, myristic acid (MA)). Density Functional Theory and time‐resolved photoluminescence studies confirm that twisting lowers the energy levels of the photoexcited D–A dye. The apolar environment provided by the MA suppresses photoinduced D–A twisting, retards charge recombination following photoinduced charge separation between P1 and NiO, and provides a larger electrochemical potential increasing the photocurrent. Very interestingly, co‐adsorption of MA induces H2 evolution upon photoexcitation without the presence of an H2 evolution catalyst. Based on prior art, the formation of H2 is assigned to the dissolution of Ni2+, followed by reduction and re‐deposition of Ni nanoparticles acting as the catalytically active site. It propose that only excited P1 with suppressed twisting provides the sufficient electrochemical potential to induce deposition of Ni nanoparticles. The work illustrates the importance of understanding the effects of photoinduced intramolecular twisting and highlights the promise of designing twisting‐limited D–A dyes to create efficient solar fuel devices.https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202403454donor–acceptor dyedye‐sensitized photocathodeH2 evolutionmolecular twistingTICT
spellingShingle Kaijian Zhu
Ainoa Paradelo Rodríguez
Maria B. Brands
Titus deHaas
Francesco Buda
Joost N.H. Reek
Guido Mul
Annemarie Huijser
Limiting Molecular Twisting: Upgrading a Donor–Acceptor Dye to Drive H2 Evolution
Advanced Science
donor–acceptor dye
dye‐sensitized photocathode
H2 evolution
molecular twisting
TICT
title Limiting Molecular Twisting: Upgrading a Donor–Acceptor Dye to Drive H2 Evolution
title_full Limiting Molecular Twisting: Upgrading a Donor–Acceptor Dye to Drive H2 Evolution
title_fullStr Limiting Molecular Twisting: Upgrading a Donor–Acceptor Dye to Drive H2 Evolution
title_full_unstemmed Limiting Molecular Twisting: Upgrading a Donor–Acceptor Dye to Drive H2 Evolution
title_short Limiting Molecular Twisting: Upgrading a Donor–Acceptor Dye to Drive H2 Evolution
title_sort limiting molecular twisting upgrading a donor acceptor dye to drive h2 evolution
topic donor–acceptor dye
dye‐sensitized photocathode
H2 evolution
molecular twisting
TICT
url https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202403454
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