Organic polymer dots boost green hydrogen production

Photocatalysts can separate the hydrogen and oxygen components in water using sunlight, resulting in green hydrogen which can then be integrated into the energy system as a renewable power source.

Until now, these photocatalysts have generally been derived from metals, which can be expensive and in many cases toxic, jeopardising the technology’s green credentials.

The nano-sized organic polymer dots – or Pdots – developed by the team at Uppsala are designed to be environmentally friendly and cost-effective, merging three different light-absorbing components to boost the efficiency of the photocatalytic reaction.

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"Combining several components that absorb light at different wavelengths is the easiest way to create a system in which all the visible surfaces capture light,” said lead researcher Haining Tian, Associate Professor of Physical Chemistry at Uppsala University.

“But getting these components to work well together in a photocatalytic system is challenging."