Hydrogen Production from Hydrophobic Ruthenium Dye-Sensitized TiO₂ Photocatalyst Assisted by Vesicle Formation

Abstract

Dye-sensitized H2 evolution photocatalysts have attracted considerable attention as promising systems for the photochemical generation of H2 from water. In this study, to mimic the reaction field of natural photosynthesis artificially, we synthesized a hydrophobic Ru­(II) dye-sensitized Pt-TiO2 nanoparticle photocatalyst, RuC 9 @Pt-TiO2 (RuC 9 = [Ru­(dC9bpy)2(H4dmpbpy)]2+; dC9bpy = 4,4′-dinonyl-2,2′-bipyridine, H4dmpbpy = 4,4′-dimethyl phosphonic acid-2,2′-bipyridine), and integrated it into 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) lipid bilayer vesicle membranes. The photocatalytic H2 production activity in 0.5 M l-ascorbic acid aqueous solution enhanced by more than three times in the presence of DPPC vesicles (apparent quantum yield = 2.11%), whereas such a significant enhancement was hardly observed when the vesicle formation was omitted. These results indicate that the highly dispersed state of the hydrophobic RuC 9 @Pt-TiO2 nanoparticles in the DPPC bilayer vesicles is a key factor in achieving enhanced photocatalytic H2 production activity in aqueous solution.

Bioinspired photocatalytic systems towards compartmentalized artificial photosynthesis

“…The potential of artificial vesicles to develop compartmentalized systems for reductive transformations has also garnered substantial attention. In this context, liposome- and other membrane-based systems for photocatalytic HER 130 – 133 , CO 2 R 93 , 134 – 136 , and organic transformations 58 , 103 , have been reported.…”

Photocatalytic Synthesis of Coumarin Derivatives Using Visible-Light-Responsive Strawberry Dye-Sensitized Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles

“…Utilizing dyes to sensitize TiO 2 is a highly promising method for improving its photocatalytic activity in the presence of visible light. Many studies reported significant progress in developing dye-sensitized TiO 2 photocatalysts, employing different dyes, including natural ones such as betalains, anthocyanins, and chlorophylls [27][28][29][30][31][32][33]. Nonetheless, further exploration of new natural dyes for TiO 2 sensitization under visible light is warranted.…”