Intrinsic Charge Separation in Pt-Loaded Y-Series Nonfullerene Acceptor Nanoparticles: Implication for the Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Abstract

Y-series nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs) have previously been investigated as Pt-loaded organic photocatalysts and homojunction solar cells due to their unique ability to generate charge in the absence of a donor material. Here, hydrogen evolution by Pt-loaded organic nanoparticles (NPs) composed of five different Y-series acceptors is compared, to reveal the structural differences in the NFA that lead to an improved photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate. PY-IT is a polymerized Y-series acceptor that contains a thiophene linker to create a polymer with the core structure shared by the Y-series acceptors. The other acceptors studied, namely L8-BO, PC6, and Y7, have the same core structure as t..