A Case Study on a Soluble Dibenzothiophene-<i>S</i>,<i>S</i>-dioxide-Based Conjugated Polyelectrolyte for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production: The Film versus the Bulk Material
Yubo Hu, Yuxiang Liu, Jun Wu, Yuda Li, Jia‐Xing Jiang, Feng Wang
Abstract
Most of the traditional polymeric photocatalysts are generally insoluble in organic solvents, which might exclude their compatibility with large-area processing technology. Herein, we have synthesized a novel quaternized ammonium conjugated polyelectrolyte (PSO-FNBr) that can be processed to prepare an active film by a drop-casting method. PSO-FNBr shows a remarkably enhanced hydrogen evolution rate (HER) of 20.5 mmol h–1 g–1 in the thin film form in comparison to that of the powder form. Furthermore, we prepared a new type of thin film-based photocatalytic device, which provided a rare example of a “three-in-one” (rapid sampling + easy-to-use + cost-effective) photocatalytic system. The PSO-FNBr thin film over the Pt substrate can maintain a competitive HER, even though the Pt substrate was recycled and reused 50 times. Considering the features of impressive activity and low cost, we believe that PSO-FNBr will be a promising material for potential application in photocatalysis.