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Dark Photocatalysis: Storage of Solar Energy in Carbon Nitride for Time-Delayed Hydrogen Generation

Published version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Lau, VW-H 
Klose, D 
Kasap, H 
Podjaski, F 
Pignié, M-C 

Abstract

While natural photosynthesis serves as the model system for efficient charge separation and decoupling of redox reactions, bio-inspired artificial systems typically lack applicability owing to synthetic challenges and structural complexity. We present herein a simple and inexpensive system that, under solar irradiation, forms highly reductive radicals in the presence of an electron donor, with lifetimes exceeding the diurnal cycle. This radical species is formed within a cyanamide-functionalized polymeric network of heptazine units and can give off its trapped electrons in the dark to yield H2 , triggered by a co-catalyst, thus enabling the temporal decoupling of the light and dark reactions of photocatalytic hydrogen production through the radical's longevity. The system introduced here thus demonstrates a new approach for storing sunlight as long-lived radicals, and provides the structural basis for designing photocatalysts with long-lived photo-induced states.

Description

Keywords

artificial photosynthesis, carbon nitrides, EPR spectroscopy, hydrogen evolution, stable radical

Journal Title

Angewandte Chemie - International Edition

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1433-7851
1521-3773

Volume Title

56

Publisher

Wiley
Sponsorship
Christian Doppler Forschungsgesellschaft (unknown)
This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (project LO1801/1-1) and an ERC Starting Grant (B.V.L., grant number 639233), the Max Planck Society, the cluster of excellence Nanosystems Initiative Munich (NIM), and the Center for Nanoscience (CeNS). We acknowledge support by the Christian Doppler Research Association (Austrian Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy, National Foundation for Research, Technology and Development) and the OMV Group (H.K., E.R.). V.W.-h.L. gratefully acknowledges a postdoctoral scholarship from the Max Planck Society.