Promoted photoinduced charge separation and directional electron transfer over dispersible xanthene dyes sensitized graphene sheets for efficient solar H2 evolution

Directional electron transfer and effective charge separation facilitated by graphene sheets have provided an inspiring approach to enhance the efficiencies of photoelectric conversion and photocatalysis. Herein, we demonstrated the feasibility of constructing a high-performance of the dye-sensitized H2 evolution system using dispersible graphene sheets as both efficient electron transfer carrier and catalyst scaffold. Among the xanthene dyes sensitized H2 evolution catalysts in this study, photocatalyst of Rose Bengal (RB) sensitized graphene decorated with Pt is the most active one and exhibits the highest apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) of 18.5% at wavelength of 550 nm and rather long-term stability for H2 evolution. Dispersible graphene sheets can not only capture electrons from the excited dye and then transfer them to the decorated catalysts efficiently for improving charge separation with a small energy loss, but also afford large interfaces for highly dispersing catalyst nanoparticles with more active sites, thereby significantly enhancing the H2 evolution efficiency than graphite oxide (GO) and multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). This work proposes a potential strategy to develop efficient photocatalytic systems for solar-energy-conversion and provides a new insight into mechanistic study of photoinduced electron transfer by effective synergetic combination of dispersible graphene sheets with an efficient dye and a H2 evolution catalyst.

► Constructing a high active H2 evolution catalyst using dispersible graphene sheets.
► Rose Bengal (RB) sensitized graphene/Pt photocatalyst was active at 550 nm.
► The apparent quantum yield (AQE) of 18.5% was reached under visible light.
► Dispersible graphene sheets are an efficient electron transfer carrier and catalyst scaffold.
► Graphene can greatly suppress the back electron transfer.