Nickel Complexes and Carbon Dots for Efficient Light‐Driven Hydrogen Production
Kalliopi Ladomenou, Michael Papadakis, Γεώργιος Λάνδρου, Michel Giorgi, Charalampos Drivas, Στέλλα Κέννου, Renaud Hardré, Julien Massin, Athanassios G. Coutsolelos, Maylis Orio
Abstract
Abstract Nitrogen‐doped carbon dots were used as photosensitizers for H 2 evolution in the presence of a series of mononuclear thiosemicarbazone nickel complexes. The catalysts were designed to display different substituents at the para position of the phenyl rings. These chemical modifications tune the electron‐donating abilities of the complexes and influence their capability to reduce protons into hydrogen. All photocatalytic experiments were performed in aqueous solution, using as sacrificial electron donor TCEP/Asc (1 : 1), 0.1 M each, at pH=5. The complex bearing the most electron‐donating ligand with the dimethylamino (N(CH 3 ) 2 ) substituent behaves as the best catalyst in our series of photocatalytic systems with TON CAT =148, under white led radiation for 30 h. Therefore, this noble metal‐free system can effectively produce hydrogen in water and further chemical modification of the ligand will likely improve its production.