Studies on the Photocatalytic Electron Pooling of Graphene Oxide Hybrids Decorated with Electron Donor and Electron Acceptor Molecules

• Published in: Fullerenes, nanotubes, and carbon nanostructures Vol. 22; no. 1-3; pp. 128 - 137
• Main Authors: Das, Sushanta K., KC, Chandra B., D'Souza, Francis
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA Taylor & Francis 01.01.2014
• Subjects: Catalytic methods; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; donor-acceptor hybrid; electron pooling; Exact sciences and technology; Fullerenes and related materials; diamonds, graphite; fulleropyrrolidine; Materials science; Methods of nanofabrication; methyl viologen; photocatalysis; Physics; Single layer graphene oxide; Specific materials; zinc phthalocyanine; Catalysts; Oxide layer; Photocatalysis; zinc phthalocyanine; Proximity effect; Zinc; Viologen polymer; Single layer graphene oxide; electron pooling; methyl viologen; Graphene; Fullerenes; fulleropyrrolidine; Electron donor; Phthalocyanines; donor-acceptor hybrid
• ISSN: 1536-383X; 1536-4046
• DOI: 10.1080/1536383X.2013.794343

Photocatalytic behavior of a recently synthesized, single layer graphene oxide (SLGO) decorated with an electron donor, zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) and an electron acceptor, fulleropyrrolidine (C 60 ) donor-acceptor hybrid is demonstrated. Electron accumulation in the form of one-electron reduced product of methyl viologen was obtained in high yields in an electron pooling experiment involving the ZnPc-SLGO-C 60 hybrid and a sacrificial electron donor compared with control hybrids involving either ZnPc-SLGO or SLGO-C 60 hybrids. This novel property of ZnPc-SLGO-C 60 hybrid has been ascribed to the proximity effect offered by GO with covalently linked donor and acceptor entities on its surface. The present studies reveal that the ZnPc-SLGO-C 60 hybrid is a suitable catalyst for solar fuel production.