Application of Conducting Polymers in Solar Water-Splitting Catalysis

Abstract

Water splitting is the general term for a chemical reaction in which water is separated into its constituent materials, oxygen and hydrogen. Hydrogen is widely considered to be an ideal fuel of the future due to its potential to replace fossil fuels. The key to an energy-efficient water-splitting process lies in catalysts that can carry out the water oxidation and reduction reactions with minimal energy losses. Conducting polymers are attractive materials for this technology and application because they may combine several desirable properties, including electronic conduction, ionic conduction, sensor functionality, and electrochromism. In this chapter, water splitting assisted by or driven by illumination with sunlight and involving conducting polymers is reviewed. The properties of conducting polymers that make them favorable for this purpose are also discussed. Comparisons of these properties with those of conventional water-splitting materials are made. Finally, a statement of research and achievements of solar hydrogen production through water splitting using conductive polymers will be reported.

Synergistic Amplification of Water Oxidation Catalysis on Pt by a Thin-Film Conducting Polymer Composite

“…Thin film conducting polymers (CP) have recently gained attention as potentially useful substrates for immobilizing water oxidation catalysts, particularly solar-assisted or solar-driven catalysts . For example, the conducting polymer poly­(terthiophene), incorporating Mn porphyrins, has been demonstrated to display the very useful property that it selectively splits seawater into pure oxygen only, with no measurable chlorine formation detected. , In common with several other systems involving thin-film conducting polymer substrates, however, the catalysis was only weakly active, achieving current densities in the low μA/cm 2 range. − …”

“…Conducting polymers have the potentialat least in theoryto mediate all of the above properties and thereby strongly assist the catalytic process. However, that potential has remained largely unrealized with conducting polymer substrates appearing to mostly restrain and not maximally facilitate catalytic processes . A key challenge in this respect is to understand how to fabricate conducting polymer supports in a form that promotes the highest possible catalytic activity.…”

“…A key challenge in this respect is to understand how to fabricate conducting polymer supports in a form that promotes the highest possible catalytic activity. At present, only very general guidelines are available …”

Conducting-Polymer Nanocomposites as Synergistic Supports That Accelerate Electro-Catalysis: PEDOT/Nano Co3O4/rGO as a Photo Catalyst of Oxygen Production from Water

“…Powder XRD (Figure 5) revealed peaks at 2θ = 18.9°, 31.26°, 36.9°, 38.52°, 44.82°, 55.46°, 59,48°, and 65.34° that corresponded to the nano Co3O4 cubic space group Fd3m [11][12][13]. Two other peaks at 25.91° and 26.48° were due to the rGO and PEDOT, respectively (Figure S2) [2,5].…”

“…As such, it is important to develop techniques that maximize the performance of nano-particulate electro-catalysts, which are typically deposited as thin films on electrode surfaces. One approach that has recently been developed by our research group in this respect involves the use of conducting polymers [2] and conductive additives as supports that create synergies with the electro-catalyst to maximally accelerate the overall electrocatalytic rate [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10].…”