Pt Nanoparticle Assisted Homogeneous Surface Engineering of Polymer-Based Bulk-Heterojunction Photocathodes for Efficient Charge Extraction and Catalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Abstract

To fabricate a high-efficiency bulk-heterojunction (BHJ)-based photocathode, introducing suitable interfacial modification layer(s) is a crucial strategy. Surface engineering is especially important for achieving high-performance photocathodes because the photoelectrochemical (PEC) reactions at the photocathode/electrolyte interface are the rate-limiting process. Despite its importance, the influence of interfacial layer morphology regulation on PEC activity has attracted insufficient attention. In this work, RuO₂ , with excellent conductivity, capacity and catalytic properties, is utilized as an interfacial layer to modify the BHJ layer. However, the homogeneous coverage of hydrophilic RuO₂ on the hydrophobic BHJ surface is challenging. To address this issue, a Pt nanoparticle-assisted homogeneous RuO₂ layer deposition method is developed and successfully applied to several BHJ-based photocathodes, achieving superior PEC performance compared to those prepared by conventional interface engineering strategies. Among them, the fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO)/J71:N2200(Pt)/RuO₂ photocathode generates the best photocurrent density of -9.0 mA cm^-2 at 0 V with an onset potential of up to 1.0 V under AM1.5 irradiation.

Keywords: bulk-heterojunction; hydrogen evolution; photocathodes; surface engineering.