title: Tuning Thiophene-Based Phenothiazines for Stable Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production.
abstract: Dibranched donor-(π-acceptor)2 dyes, where phenothiazine is the donor core, cyanoacrylic acid is the acceptor/anchoring group, and π is represented by mono- and poly-cyclic simple and fused thiophene derivatives, were tested as photosensitizers in the photocatalytic production of H2 , in combination with a Pt/TiO2 catalyst. The optical and electrochemical properties of the dyes were investigated, showing that careful design of the thiophene-based π spacer afforded enhanced optical properties. In the H2 production over 20 h, the new thiophene-based sensitizers revealed improved stability after longer irradiation times and enhanced performances, in terms of H2 production rates and light-to-fuel efficiencies, after an initial activation period, which were for the first time associated with enhanced stability under photocatalytic production of H2 and the absence of critical dye degradation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science, Solar Energy Research Center MIB-SOLAR, INSTM Milano-Bicocca Research Unit, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via Cozzi 55, 20125, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9200-6316
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cecconi
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science, Solar Energy Research Center MIB-SOLAR, INSTM Milano-Bicocca Research Unit, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via Cozzi 55, 20125, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Norberto
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3802-1953
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Manfredi
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science, Solar Energy Research Center MIB-SOLAR, INSTM Milano-Bicocca Research Unit, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via Cozzi 55, 20125, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ruffo
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, ICCOM-CNR Trieste Research Unit, INSTM Trieste Research Unit, University of Trieste, Via L.Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Tiziano
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9515-566X
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Montini
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, ICCOM-CNR Trieste Research Unit, INSTM Trieste Research Unit, University of Trieste, Via L.Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Ismael
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Romero-Ocaña
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, ICCOM-CNR Trieste Research Unit, INSTM Trieste Research Unit, University of Trieste, Via L.Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy. pfornasiero@units.it.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1082-9157
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fornasiero
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science, Solar Energy Research Center MIB-SOLAR, INSTM Milano-Bicocca Research Unit, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via Cozzi 55, 20125, Milano, Italy. alessandro.abbotto@unimib.it.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0165-5581
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abbotto
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D004563:Electrochemistry; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000737:chemistry*; D008027:Light; D055620:Optical Phenomena; D010640:Phenothiazines / Q000737:chemistry*; D055668:Photochemical Processes; D010984:Platinum / Q000737:chemistry; D013876:Thiophenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D010640:Phenothiazines; D013876:Thiophenes; C009495:titanium dioxide; D010984:Platinum; D006859:Hydrogen; D014025:Titanium
keywords: hydrogen production; photocatalysis; solar cells; stability; visible light