Application of Conjugated Heterocyclic Compounds as Sensitizers for Photocatalyzed Hydrogen Production

Over the years, conjugated organic compounds have been extensively employed in new generation photovoltaic devices, both as light-harvesting and charge carrier (electron or hole) transport materials. In addition, they also recently found application as visible light sensitizers for the photocatalyzed hydrogen production by means of Pt/TiO2 catalysts. Although photocatalytic water splitting would be the dream reaction for clean H2 production, its feasibility is hindered by its low efficiency. Thus, photoreforming of renewable organic feedstocks able to act as sacrificial electron donors (SED), bypassing H2O oxidation, represents a valid alternative. In this communication, we will present our studies on the synthesis and characterization of new donor-?-acceptor type organic dyes incorporating different heterocyclic moieties, and their employment as sensitizers in the photocatalyzed H2 formation reaction, in the presence of both nonrenewable (triethanolamine) and renewable (EtOH) sacrificial donors.