Synergistic effect of 9-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)perylene-3,4-dicarboximide functionalization of amino graphene on photocatalytic hydrogen generation

A novel hybrid material, AG-PYPMI, with push-pull 9-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)perylene-3,4-dicarboximide (PYPMI) attached to amine functionalized graphene (AG) is reported. The wide spectral window of attached push-pull perylene dye enhances the light harvesting ability of AG-PYPMI. The catalytic composite of the AG-PYPMI with platinum (AG-PYPMI/Pt) is proved to be a proficient material for the generation of hydrogen from water by utilizing solar energy. The synergistic effect of PYPMI in the synthesized composite material, AG-PYPMI, has enhanced 4.3 fold of its hydrogen generation (1009 µmol g−1) efficiency with three hours of visible light irradiation. The thermal and photochemical stability of AG-PYPMI make it as a promising photocatalyst for solar energy conversion.