Porous Electropolymerized Films of Ruthenium Complex: Photoelectrochemical Properties and Photoelectrocatalytic Synthesis of Hydrogen Peroxide

Overview

Journal Molecules

Publisher MDPI

Specialty Biology

Date 2024 Feb 10

PMID 38338477

Authors

Hong-Ju Yin

Ke-Zhi Wang

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The photoelectrochemical cells (PECs) performing high-efficiency conversions of solar energy into both electricity and high value-added chemicals are highly desirable but rather challenging. Herein, we demonstrate that a PEC using the oxidatively electropolymerized film of a heteroleptic Ru(II) complex of [Ru(bpy)()](PF) {bpy and stand for 2,2'-bipyridine and 1-phenyl-2-(4-vinylphenyl)-1-imidazo[4,5-][1,10]phenanthroline respectively}, poly, as a working electrode performed both efficient in situ synthesis of hydrogen peroxide and photocurrent generation/switching. Specifically, when biased at -0.4 V vs. saturated calomel electrode and illuminated with 100 mW·cm white light, the PEC showed a significant cathodic photocurrent density of 9.64 μA·cm. Furthermore, an increase in the concentrations of quinhydrone in the electrolyte solution enabled the photocurrent polarity to switch from cathodic to anodic, and the anodic photocurrent density reached as high as 11.4 μA·cm. Interestingly, in this single-compartment PEC, the hydrogen peroxide yield reached 2.63 μmol·cm in the neutral electrolyte solution. This study will serve as a guide for the design of high-efficiency metal-complex-based molecular systems performing photoelectric conversion/switching and photoelectrochemical oxygen reduction to hydrogen peroxide.

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