AUTHOR=Cullen Aoibhín A. , Heintz Katharina , O'Reilly Laura , Long Conor , Heise Andreas , Murphy Robert , Karlsson Joshua , Gibson Elizabeth , Greetham Gregory M. , Towrie Michael , Pryce Mary T. 

TITLE=A Time-Resolved Spectroscopic Investigation of a Novel BODIPY Copolymer and Its Potential Use as a Photosensitiser for Hydrogen Evolution

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Chemistry

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/chemistry/articles/10.3389/fchem.2020.584060

DOI=10.3389/fchem.2020.584060

ISSN=2296-2646

ABSTRACT=<p>A novel 4,4-difuoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (BODIPY) copolymer with diethynylbenzene has been synthesised, and its ability to act as a photosensitiser for the photocatalytic generation of hydrogen was investigated by time-resolved spectroscopic techniques spanning the ps- to ns-timescales. Both transient absorption and time-resolved infrared spectroscopy were used to probe the excited state dynamics of this photosensitising unit in a variety of solvents. These studies indicated how environmental factors can influence the photophysics of the BODIPY polymer. A homogeneous photocatalytic hydrogen evolution system has been developed using the BODIPY copolymer and cobaloxime which provides hydrogen evolution rates of 319 μmol h<sup>−1</sup> g<sup>−1</sup> after 24 h of visible irradiation.</p>