Artificial photosynthesis is a chemical process that aims to capture energy from sunlight to produce solar fuels. Light absorption by a robust and efficient photosensitizer is one of the key steps in solar energy conversion. However, common photosensitizers, including [Ru(bpy)] (RuP), remain far from the ideal. In this work, we exploited the performance of conjugated polymers (CPs) as photosensitizers in photodriven hydrogen evolution in aqueous solution (pH 6). Interestingly, CPs, such as poly(fluorene- co-phenylene) derivative (429 mmol·g·h), exhibit steady and high reactivity toward hydrogen evolution; this performance can rival that of a phosphonated RuP under the same conditions, indicating that CPs are promising metal-free photosensitizers for future applications in photocatalysis.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.