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Updated: Jul 4, 2026
Developing Photosensitizer-Cobaloxime Hybrids for Solar-Driven H2 Production in Aqueous Aerobic Conditions
Published on: October 5, 2019
A dual-functional heavy-metal-free quantum dot/TiO2 hybrid system for simultaneous pollutant degradation and green
Swedha Madhu1, Shanmugasundaram Kokilavani1, Umair Sohail1
1Sustainable Nanoengineering Lab, Department of Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University, Truro, B2N 5E3, NS, Canada. gs.selopal@dal.ca.
Abstract:
Solar-driven photoelectrochemical (PEC) systems have emerged as sustainable and cost-effective solutions for wastewater remediation and green hydrogen (H2) production; however, integrated systems that valorize organic pollutants and generate green H2 are underexplored. Herein, we report a heavy-metal-free Mn-doped CuInSe2 (Mn:CuInSe2) quantum dot (QD)-engineered mesoporous TiO2 hybrid photoanode for simultaneous organic pollutant degradation and H2 evolution within a single bias-assisted PEC configuration. The Mn:CuInSe2 QDs absorb a broader visible light range and exhibit an enhanced charge-transfer rate. The Mn:CuInSe2/TiO2 interface promotes efficient carrier separation and suppresses recombination through favorable band alignment and rapid interfacial electron injection. Under optimized conditions, the Mn:CuInSe2/TiO2 hybrid photoanode achieves 93.31% degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) at 1.4 V vs. RHE and a photocurrent density of 2.58 mA cm-2 at 1 V vs. RHE, leading to a H2 generation rate of ∼48.5 µmol h-1 cm-2, which is 25 times higher than that of the bare TiO2 device (0.10 mA cm-2 at 1 V vs. RHE) under 1 sun illumination (AM 1.5G, 100 mW cm-2). The Mn:CuInSe2/TiO2 hybrid system exhibits excellent recyclability and stable photocurrent over 7200 s. This work establishes a robust QD-TiO2 hybrid design for efficient solar-driven wastewater treatment and clean H2 production, suitable for scalable applications.
