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Current understanding and challenges of solar-driven hydrogen generation using polymeric photocatalysts

Author

Listed:
  • Yiou Wang

    (University College London)

  • Anastasia Vogel

    (University of Liverpool
    University of Liverpool)

  • Michael Sachs

    (Imperial College London
    Imperial College London)

  • Reiner Sebastian Sprick

    (University of Liverpool
    University of Liverpool)

  • Liam Wilbraham

    (University College London)

  • Savio J. A. Moniz

    (University College London)

  • Robert Godin

    (Imperial College London
    Imperial College London
    The University of British Columbia)

  • Martijn A. Zwijnenburg

    (University College London)

  • James R. Durrant

    (Imperial College London
    Imperial College London)

  • Andrew I. Cooper

    (University of Liverpool
    University of Liverpool)

  • Junwang Tang

    (University College London)

Abstract

The use of hydrogen as a fuel, when generated from water using semiconductor photocatalysts and driven by sunlight, is a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. Polymeric photocatalysts are based on Earth-abundant elements and have the advantage over their inorganic counterparts in that their electronic properties are easily tuneable through molecular engineering. Polymeric photocatalysts have developed rapidly over the past decade, resulting in the discovery of many active materials. However, our understanding of the key properties underlying their photoinitiated redox processes has not kept pace, and this impedes further progress to generate cost-competitive technologies. Here, we discuss state-of-the-art polymeric photocatalysts and our microscopic understanding of their activities. We conclude with a discussion of five outstanding challenges in this field: non-standardized reporting of activities, limited photochemical stability, insufficient knowledge of reaction mechanisms, balancing charge carrier lifetimes with catalysis timescales and the use of unsustainable sacrificial reagents.

Suggested Citation

  • Yiou Wang & Anastasia Vogel & Michael Sachs & Reiner Sebastian Sprick & Liam Wilbraham & Savio J. A. Moniz & Robert Godin & Martijn A. Zwijnenburg & James R. Durrant & Andrew I. Cooper & Junwang Tang, 2019. "Current understanding and challenges of solar-driven hydrogen generation using polymeric photocatalysts," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 4(9), pages 746-760, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natene:v:4:y:2019:i:9:d:10.1038_s41560-019-0456-5
    DOI: 10.1038/s41560-019-0456-5
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    Cited by:

    1. Mohamed Hammad Elsayed & Mohamed Abdellah & Ahmed Zaki Alhakemy & Islam M. A. Mekhemer & Ahmed Esmail A. Aboubakr & Bo-Han Chen & Amr Sabbah & Kun-Han Lin & Wen-Sheng Chiu & Sheng-Jie Lin & Che-Yi Chu, 2024. "Overcoming small-bandgap charge recombination in visible and NIR-light-driven hydrogen evolution by engineering the polymer photocatalyst structure," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Liu, Enli & Lin, Xue & Hong, Yuanzhi & Yang, Lan & Luo, Bifu & Shi, Weilong & Shi, Junyou, 2021. "Rational copolymerization strategy engineered C self-doped g-C3N4 for efficient and robust solar photocatalytic H2 evolution," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 757-765.
    3. Guangri Jia & Fusai Sun & Tao Zhou & Ying Wang & Xiaoqiang Cui & Zhengxiao Guo & Fengtao Fan & Jimmy C. Yu, 2024. "Charge redistribution of a spatially differentiated ferroelectric Bi4Ti3O12 single crystal for photocatalytic overall water splitting," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    4. Sudhagar Pitchaimuthu & Kishore Sridharan & Sanjay Nagarajan & Sengeni Ananthraj & Peter Robertson & Moritz F. Kuehnel & Ángel Irabien & Mercedes Maroto-Valer, 2022. "Solar Hydrogen Fuel Generation from Wastewater—Beyond Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting: A Perspective," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-23, October.
    5. Shujiao Yang & Kaihang Yue & Xiaohan Liu & Sisi Li & Haoquan Zheng & Ya Yan & Rui Cao & Wei Zhang, 2024. "Electrocatalytic water oxidation with manganese phosphates," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    6. Xu Zhang & Hui Su & Peixin Cui & Yongyong Cao & Zhenyuan Teng & Qitao Zhang & Yang Wang & Yibo Feng & Ran Feng & Jixiang Hou & Xiyuan Zhou & Peijie Ma & Hanwen Hu & Kaiwen Wang & Cong Wang & Liyong Ga, 2023. "Developing Ni single-atom sites in carbon nitride for efficient photocatalytic H2O2 production," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.
    7. Yunyang Qian & Yulan Han & Xiyuan Zhang & Ge Yang & Guozhen Zhang & Hai-Long Jiang, 2023. "Computation-based regulation of excitonic effects in donor-acceptor covalent organic frameworks for enhanced photocatalysis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    8. Floriana Moruzzi & Weimin Zhang & Balaji Purushothaman & Soranyel Gonzalez-Carrero & Catherine M. Aitchison & Benjamin Willner & Fabien Ceugniet & Yuanbao Lin & Jan Kosco & Hu Chen & Junfu Tian & Mary, 2023. "Solution-processable polymers of intrinsic microporosity for gas-phase carbon dioxide photoreduction," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    9. Jijia Xie & Xiyi Li & Jian Guo & Lei Luo & Juan J. Delgado & Natalia Martsinovich & Junwang Tang, 2023. "Highly selective oxidation of benzene to phenol with air at room temperature promoted by water," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    10. Wei-Wei Fang & Gui-Yu Yang & Zi-Hui Fan & Zi-Chao Chen & Xun-Liang Hu & Zhen Zhan & Irshad Hussain & Yang Lu & Tao He & Bi-En Tan, 2023. "Conjugated cross-linked phosphine as broadband light or sunlight-driven photocatalyst for large-scale atom transfer radical polymerization," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    11. Yuanding Fang & Youxing Liu & Haojie Huang & Jianzhe Sun & Jiaxing Hong & Fan Zhang & Xiaofang Wei & Wenqiang Gao & Mingchao Shao & Yunlong Guo & Qingxin Tang & Yunqi Liu, 2024. "Design and synthesis of broadband absorption covalent organic framework for efficient artificial photocatalytic amine coupling," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    12. Chih-Li Chang & Wei-Cheng Lin & Li-Yu Ting & Chin-Hsuan Shih & Shih-Yuan Chen & Tse-Fu Huang & Hiroyuki Tateno & Jayachandran Jayakumar & Wen-Yang Jao & Chen-Wei Tai & Che-Yi Chu & Chin-Wen Chen & Chi, 2022. "Main-chain engineering of polymer photocatalysts with hydrophilic non-conjugated segments for visible-light-driven hydrogen evolution," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    13. Jingrun Ran & Hongping Zhang & Sijia Fu & Mietek Jaroniec & Jieqiong Shan & Bingquan Xia & Yang Qu & Jiangtao Qu & Shuangming Chen & Li Song & Julie M. Cairney & Liqiang Jing & Shi-Zhang Qiao, 2022. "NiPS3 ultrathin nanosheets as versatile platform advancing highly active photocatalytic H2 production," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-17, December.
    14. Fei Chen & Chang-Wei Bai & Pi-Jun Duan & Zhi-Quan Zhang & Yi-Jiao Sun & Xin-Jia Chen & Qi Yang & Han-Qing Yu, 2024. "Merging semi-crystallization and multispecies iodine intercalation at photo-redox interfaces for dual high-value synthesis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-17, December.

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