Pt nanoparticles coupled with perylene-based small molecule deposited on Ti3+ self-doped TiO2 nanorods-An inorganic/organic type-II nanoheterostructure for efficient visible-light photoelectrochemical water oxidation

Himadri Shekhar Karmakar; Ayan Sarkar; Nani Gopal Ghosh; Devendra Mayurdhwaj Sanke; Chandan Kumar; Sarasija Das; Sanjio S Zade

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134696

Pt nanoparticles coupled with perylene-based small molecule deposited on Ti³⁺ self-doped TiO₂ nanorods-An inorganic/organic type-II nanoheterostructure for efficient visible-light photoelectrochemical water oxidation

Chemosphere. 2022 Aug:301:134696. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134696. Epub 2022 Apr 27.

Authors

Himadri Shekhar Karmakar¹, Ayan Sarkar², Nani Gopal Ghosh¹, Devendra Mayurdhwaj Sanke¹, Chandan Kumar¹, Sarasija Das¹, Sanjio S Zade³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal, 741246, India.
² Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal, 741246, India. Electronic address: visit2ayan@gmail.com.
³ Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal, 741246, India. Electronic address: sanjiozade@iiserkol.ac.in.

PMID: 35487359
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134696

Abstract

In the work reported in this article, we have coupled Ti³⁺-self-doped TiO₂ nanorods (NRs) with a newly synthesized tetrathiophene coupled perylene-based molecule (tThTMP) to form type-II inorganic/organic nanoheterostructures (NHs) for visible-light-driven water oxidation. The small organic molecule helps in better utilizing a wide range of the visible light spectrum, facilitates a faster delocalization of the photogenerated carriers at the inorganic/organic heterojunction, and exhibits improved photoelectrochemical performances. We have further decorated the NHs with platinum nanoparticles (NPs). The decoration of the Pt NPs significantly augments the various aspects of photoelectrochemical performances. The Pt NPs decorated NHs photoanode exhibits a photocurrent density of 0.83 mA/cm² at 1.23 V vs. RHE (@10 mV/s scan rate), a photoconversion efficiency of 0.26%, a substantial cathodic shift in the water oxidation onset potential and flat band potential, impressively reduced charge transfer resistance, improved photocarrier concentration, photovoltage, and stability.

Keywords: Inorganic/organic nano-heterostructures; PEC water Oxidation; Perylene-based small organic molecule; Pt nanoparticles.