Polymer/non-fullerene acceptor bulk heterojunction nanoparticles for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production from water

Bulk heterojunction nanoparticles (NPs) composed of p-type polymer donor and non-fullerene acceptor are emerging photocatalysts for water splitting. Herein, bulk heterojunction NPs consisting of donor PBDB-T and non-fullerene acceptor ITIC are produced by micro-emulsion method, and are demonstrated as efficient photocatalyst to generate hydrogen from water splitting upon full spectrum illumination, with ascorbic acid as the sacrificial agent. The photocatalytic efficiency is determined by the nanoscale morphology of these bulk heterojunction NPs, which can be regulated by donor/acceptor ratio, binary solvent volume fraction, as well as surfactant content. The best-performing bulk heterojunction NPs show an outstanding hydrogen evolution rate of 257 mmol h−1 g−1, benefiting from the ideal phase separation, reasonable particle size and efficient charge separation and transfer. This work provides a rational guide for producing bulk heterojunction NPs made of organic semiconductors to reach high photocatalytic efficiency.