Water splitting studies

Unisense microsensors are widely used in photocatalytic and electrochemical studies looking at the development of either H₂, O₂, or both gases.

The sensors can be mounted directly in the reaction vessel, e.g. an H-cell, with standard or customized sensors from Unisense. This will allow for fast and real-time measurements with no need for slower, and error prone detection methods.
 

Hydrogen evolved from light-driven water splitting at the surface of a semiconductor material

Jonathan Kampmann and coworkers from the University of Munich have used a Unisense H₂-NP low range microsensor to detect the nanomolar concentrations of hydrogen evolved from light-driven water splitting at the surface of a semiconductor material. They used a covalent organic framework (COF) as photoelectrode and the material was held at a potential of 0.4 V versus a reversible hydrogen electrode. During light illumination, the generated charge reduced water in the cuvette and hydrogen was produced and detected continuously with the H₂ microsensor (Figure 1).

You can read more in the article by Sick et al. (2018) Oriented Films of Conjugated 2D Covalent Organic Frameworks as Photocathodes for Water Splitting. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 2085-2092.

Hydrogen production upon illumination of a polymer dot catalyst

Dr. Haining Tian and his research group from Uppsala University have been investigating the potential of organic semiconducting polymer dots (Pdots) to serve as a photocatalyst in light-driven hydrogen production from water splitting. In the experiment the researchers used a H₂-NP low range sensor with a detection limit of 50 nM to pierce through the lid of a cuvette and then measure the hydrogen evolution in an aqueous solution containing Pdots (Figure 2). The researchers showed that the Pdots worked very well as photocatalysts for light-driven water splitting.

You can read more in the article by Sick et al. (2018) Oriented Films of Conjugated 2D Covalent Organic Frameworks as Photocathodes for Water Splitting. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 2085-2092.