Photo-electrochemical water-splitting on conducting polymer composite materials

• Project/Area Number: 16K05922
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Polymer/Textile materials
• Research Institution: Waseda University
• Principal Investigator: Jensen Bjorn-Winther 早稲田大学, 理工学術院, 教授(任期付) (70770410)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2018)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,420,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,020,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000)
• Keywords: Water splitting / Conducting polymers / Hydrogen / Electrochemistry

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Metal-free polythiophene derivatives was developed as high-rate photocatalysts for hydrogen and H2O2 production at high pH; achieved by structure control during a solid state polymerization process.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

The realization of efficient and practical production of “solar fuels” is crucial for transfer from fossil sources to renewable ones. The discovery that simple organic semiconductors acts as combined light harvesters and highly efficient photocatalysts can guide the research towards practical usage.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Poly (1, 4‐di (2‐thienyl)) benzene Facilitating Complete Light‐Driven Water Splitting under Visible Light at High pH (2019)
  • Author(s): Kouki Oka, Kanako Noguchi, Takeo Suga, Hiroyuki Nishide, Bjorn Winther-Jensen
  • Journal Title: Advanced Energy Materials Volume: 9 Issue: 6 Pages: 1803286-1803286
  • DOI: 10.1002/aenm.201803286
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Long-lived water clusters in hydrophobic solvents investigated by standard NMR techniques (2019)
  • Author(s): Kouki Oka, Toshimichi Shibue, Natsuhiko Sugimura, Yuki Watabe, Bjorn Winther-Jensen, Hiroyuki Nishide
  • Journal Title: Scientific Reports Volume: 9 Issue: 1 Pages: 223-223
  • DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-36787-1
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Light sensors and opto-logic gates based on organic electrochemical transistors (2018)
  • Author(s): Bartlomiej Kolodziejczyk, Chun Hin Ng, Xenofon Strakosas, George G. Malliaras and Bjorn Winther-Jensen
  • Journal Title: Mater. Horiz. Volume: 5 Issue: 1 Pages: 93-93
  • DOI: 10.1039/c7mh00818j
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Light-assisted electrochemical water-splitting at verylow bias voltage using metal-free polythiophene as photocathode at high pH in a full-cell setup (2018)
  • Author(s): Kouki Oka, Orie Tsujimura, Takeo Suga, Hiroyuki Nishide and Bjorn Winther-Jensen
  • Journal Title: Energy Environ. Sci. Volume: - Issue: 5 Pages: 1335-1342
  • DOI: 10.1039/c7ee03669h
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Enhanced catalytic activity towards hydrogen evolution on polythiophene via microstructural changes (2017)
  • Author(s): Chun Hin Ng, Orawan Winther-Jensen, C. Andre Ohlin, Bjorn Winther-Jensen
  • Journal Title: International Journal of Hydrogen Energy Volume: 42 Issue: 2 Pages: 886-894
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2016.10.105
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Enhanced catalytic activity towards hydrogen evolution on polythiophene via microstructural changes, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy (2017)
  • Author(s): Chun Hin Ng, Orawan Winther-Jensen, C. Andre Ohlin, Bjorn Winther-Jensen
  • Journal Title: International Journal of Hydrogen Energy Volume: 42 Pages: 886-894
  • Open Access / Int'l Joint Research