Photosensitization of a Molecular Catalyst by CuInS2 Nanocrystals with ZnS Shell: Interplay of Electron Transfer
Prajit Kumar Singha1, Priya Bhandari1, Tannu Kaushik1
1Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400 076, India.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|December 22, 2025
Abstract:
A molecular catalyst, Cu(PAP)2, for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is effectively photosensitized in aqueous medium by bare CuInS2 nanocrystals (NCs) through ultrafast photoinduced electron transfer (PET). A ZnS shell on the NCs retards PET but enhances HER performance, with turnover numbers (TON) of ca. 18,000 over 25 h. This is rationalized by surface remediation, evident in longer photoluminescence lifetimes and possibly effective retardation of back electron transfer for the core-shell NCs.
