Mechanistic Understanding of Visible-Light-Driven Hydrogen Evolution on Pt Sites in Organic Nanohybrids Enhanced with Hydroxyl Additives

Herein, we investigated the role of Pt metal cocatalyst and hydroxyl additives in the mechanism and activity of hydrogen evolution over the PCBM/PF3T organic nanohybrid. We show, for the first time, the addition of hydroxyl additives to improve the HER performance of the system, recording up to 70 mmol g(-1) h(-1) (AQY = 2.0%), which is among the best for an organic HER photocatalyst. The enhanced activity is explained by the binding of hydroxyl additives to Pt, funneling proton adsorption onto the Pt sites where more efficient H-2 formation occurs thereafter. These insights will be critical for future organic photocatalyst designs.

Automated summary

In this study, the role of Pt metal cocatalyst and hydroxyl additives in the mechanism and activity of hydrogen evolution over the PCBM/PF3T organic nanohybrid was investigated. It was found that the addition of hydroxyl additives improved the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance, achieving up to 70 mmol g(-1) h(-1) (AQY = 2.0%), which is among the best results for an organic HER photocatalyst. The enhanced activity is attributed to the binding of hydroxyl additives to Pt, which facilitates proton adsorption and more efficient H-2 formation. These findings have important implications for future organic photocatalyst designs.