Record photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from organic semiconductor heterojunction nanoparticles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11508911-B2
Application number	US-202017639966-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2020
Priority date	Sep 11, 2019
Publication date	Nov 22, 2022
Grant date	Nov 22, 2022

Abstract

A nanoparticle comprises an internal D/A heterojunction, wherein the nanoparticle comprises a HER rate of 64,426±7022 μmolh−1g−1 under broadband visible light illumination. Measured EQEs of the nanoparticle throughout a visible spectrum exceed 5% at 660 to 700 nm. Methods may include fabricating a nanoparticle comprising: preparing individual stock solutions of PTB7-TH and EH-IDTBR in chloroform; heating the individual stock solutions to a complete dissolution; filtering the individual stock solutions; preparing a nanoparticle precursor solution from the filtered individual stock solutions by mixing the individual stock solutions in a ratio of 0-100% EH-IDTBR adding a portion of the nanoparticle precursor solution to a solution of surfactant (SDS or TEBS) in water and mixing to form a pre-emulsion; sonicating the pre-emulsion to form a mini-emulsion; heating the mini-emulsion to remove the chloroform to thereby form a surfactant stabilized nanoparticle dispersion; and filtering the nanoparticle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A nanoparticle comprising:
an internal D/A heterojunction;
the nanoparticle having a surface of PTB7-Th:EH-IDTBR decorated with a photodeposited Pt co-catalyst,
wherein the nanoparticle comprises a HER rate of 64,426±7022 μmolh −1 g −1 at 10% Pt.

2. The nanoparticle of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticle comprises 30:70 mass ratio PTB7-Th:EH-IDTBR TEBS.

3. The nanoparticle of claim 1 , wherein measured external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) of the nanoparticle throughout a visible spectrum exceed 5% at 660 to 700 nm.

4. The nanoparticle of claim 1 , wherein measured external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) of the nanoparticle over a range of wavelengths throughout a visible spectrum comprise: 2.0%, 2.3%, 4.3%, 5.6% and 6.2% at 400, 500, 620, 660, and 700 nm, respectively.

5. A nanoparticle comprising:
an internal D/A heterojunction,
wherein the nanoparticle comprises a HER rate of 64,426±7022 μmolh −1 g −1 under broadband visible light illumination.

6. A nanoparticle of claim 5 , wherein the nanoparticle has a surface of PTB7-Th:EH-IDTBR decorated with a photodeposited Pt co-catalyst, wherein the nanoparticle comprises a HER rate of 64,426±7022 μmolh −1 g −1 at 10% Pt.

7. The nanoparticle of claim 5 , wherein the nanoparticle comprises 30:70 mass ratio PTB7-Th:EH-IDTBR TEBS.

8. The nanoparticle of claim 5 , wherein measured external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) of the nanoparticle throughout a visible spectrum exceed 5% at 660 to 700 nm.

9. The nanoparticle of claim 5 , wherein measured external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) of the nanoparticle over a range of wavelengths throughout a visible spectrum comprise: 2.0%, 2.3%, 4.3%, 5.6% and 6.2% at 400, 500, 620, 660, and 700 nm, respectively.

10. A semiconductor device comprising:
nanoparticles having an internal D/A heterojunction;
the nanoparticles having surfaces of PTB7-Th:EH-IDTBR decorated with a photodeposited Pt co-catalyst,
wherein the nanoparticles comprises a HER rate of 64,426±7022 μmolh −1 g −1 at 10% Pt.

11. The semiconductor device of claim 10 , wherein the nanoparticles comprises 30:70 mass ratio PTB7-Th:EH-IDTBR TEBS.

12. The semiconductor device of claim 10 , wherein measured external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) of the nanoparticles throughout a visible spectrum exceed 5% at 660 to 700 nm.

13. The semiconductor device of claim 10 , wherein measured external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) of the nanoparticles over a range of wavelengths throughout a visible spectrum comprise: 2.0%, 2.3%, 4.3%, 5.6% and 6.2% at 400, 500, 620, 660, and 700 nm, respectively.

14. A semiconductor device comprising:
nanoparticles having an internal D/A heterojunction,
wherein the nanoparticles comprise a HER rate of 64,426±7022 μmolh −1 g −1 under broadband visible light illumination.

15. A semiconductor device of claim 14 , wherein the nanoparticles have a surface of PTB7-Th:EH-IDTBR decorated with a photodeposited Pt co-catalyst, wherein the nanoparticles comprise a HER rate of 64,426±7022 μmolh −1 g −1 at 10% Pt.

16. The semiconductor device of claim 14 , wherein measured external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) of the nanoparticles throughout a visible spectrum exceed 5% at 660 to 700 nm.

17. The semiconductor device of claim 14 , wherein measured external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) of the nanoparticles over a range of wavelengths throughout a visible spectrum comprise: 2.0%, 2.3%, 4.3%, 5.6% and 6.2% at 400, 500, 620, 660, and 700 nm, respectively.

18. A semiconductor device comprising:
nanoparticles having an internal D/A heterojunction;
the nanoparticles having surfaces of PTB7-Th:EH-IDTBR decorated with a photodeposited Pt co-catalyst,
wherein the semiconductor device comprises an H 2 evolution rate of over 60,000 μmolh −1 g −1 under 350 to 800 nm illumination and external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) over 6% in a region of maximum solar photon flux.

19. A method of fabricating a nanoparticle comprising:
preparing individual stock solutions of PTB7-TH and EH-IDTBR in chloroform;
heating the individual stock solutions at approximately 80° C. to a complete dissolution;
filtering the individual stock solutions;
preparing a nanoparticle precursor solution from the filtered individual stock solutions by mixing the individual stock solutions in a ratio of 0-100% EH-IDTBR
adding approximately 1-10 mL of the nanoparticle precursor solution to approximately 0.1-1 wt. % solution of surfactant (SDS or TEBS) in approximately 5-50 mL of water and mixing for approximately 15 min at approximately 40° C. to form a pre-emulsion;
sonicating the pre-emulsion for approximately 5 min to form a mini-emulsion;
heating the mini-emulsion at approximately 85° C. under a stream of air to remove the chloroform to thereby form a surfactant stabilized nanoparticle dispersion in water; and
filtering the nanoparticle to remove any large aggregates or debris.

20. A method of fabricating a nanoparticle comprising:
preparing individual stock solutions of PTB7-TH and EH-IDTBR in chloroform;
heating the individual stock solutions to a complete dissolution;
filtering the individual stock solutions;
preparing a nanoparticle precursor solution from the filtered individual stock solutions by mixing the individual stock solutions in a ratio of 0-100% EH-IDTBR
adding a portion of the nanoparticle precursor solution to a solution of surfactant (SDS or TEBS) in water and mixing to form a pre-emulsion;
sonicating the pre-emulsion to form a mini-emulsion;
heating the mini-emulsion to remove the chloroform to thereby form a surfactant stabilized nanoparticle dispersion; and
filtering the nanoparticle.

Assignees

• Univ King Abdullah Sci & Tech
• Imperial College
• Imp College London

Inventors

• Kosco Jan
• Bidwell Matthew
• Cha Hyojung
• Howells Calvyn T
• Durrant James R
• Mcculloch Iain

Classifications

• B82Y40/00

  Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures · CPC title

• B82Y20/00

  Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals · CPC title

• C25B1/55

  Photoelectrolysis · CPC title

• B01J23/42 Primary

  Platinum · CPC title

• C25B1/02

  Hydrogen or oxygen · CPC title