Dye-Sensitized Hydrogen Production by Porphyrin/Rh-Doped-Titania-Nanosheet Complex

Rh-doped titania nanosheet (Rh-TNS, Ti1.78Rh0.02 square O-0.20(4)0.22- (square: vacant)) was synthesized. The adsorption behavior of Zn(II)TMPyP4+ (Zinc(II) 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(1-methylpyridinium-4-yl)porphyrin) on Rh-TNS was examined. According to the absorption and fluorescence measurements, the efficient fluorescence quenching of Zn(II)TMPyP4+ was observed on Rh-TNS, indicating the electron injection from excited Zn(II)TMPyP4+ to Rh-TNS. By irradiating monochromatic 450 nm light to Rh-TNS/Zn(II)TMPyP4+ complex under the presence of electron donor (ascorbic acid) in water, hydrogen production was observed. The quantum yield for hydrogen production was 5.0% under the optimized condition. The action spectra for hydrogen production well coincided with the absorption spectra of Zn(II)TMPyP4+. These results indicate that a dye-sensitized hydrogen production system where RhTNS was used as a host material, an electron acceptor and a catalyst, was established.

Automated summary

The adsorption behavior of Zn(II)TMPyP4+ on Rh-TNS was studied, and hydrogen production was observed. The experimental results suggest that Rh-TNS can serve as a host material, an electron acceptor, and a catalyst in a dye-sensitized hydrogen production system.