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Changing the halide chemistry around platinum can materially change how well organic-semiconductor nanoparticles produce hydrogen in the lab. In a study published online September 29, 2026, researchers found that chlorine-containing residues from platinum precursors can block active sites, while a specific iodide addition raised the apparent quantum yield from 11% to 17% under 700 nm light in one nanoparticle formulation. These are laboratory photocatalysis results—not a commercial solar-to-hydrogen efficiency or an outdoor demonstration.
What the study tested
Arnau Bertran and coauthors examined platinum cocatalysts deposited on organic-semiconductor bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) nanoparticles. BHJs combine donor and acceptor semiconductor materials; in the systems studied, platinum helps promote the hydrogen-evolution reaction. The researchers compared potassium hexahaloplatinate precursors, K₂PtX₆, where X is chloride, bromide, or iodide, and investigated how precursor residues and added iodide affect platinum’s surface behavior. The paper in ACS Energy Letters was published online September 29, 2026.
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The highlighted quantum-yield comparison used pre-platinized PTB7-Th:ITIC@TEBS nanoparticles. The experimental setup included dilute ascorbic acid as a hole scavenger, so the result should be understood as sacrificial hydrogen evolution, not overall water splitting.
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The authors report that chloroplatinate precursors can leave partially reduced [PtClₓ]ⁿ species adsorbed on the platinum surface. In BHJ systems with low photopotential, these residues poison active sites and suppress hydrogen evolution. In contrast, bromo- and iodoplatinate precursors reduce more readily and largely avoid this poisoning in the studied context.
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The practical implication is that nominal platinum loading does not tell the whole story: the precursor’s halide and the residues left after deposition can affect catalyst activity. Platinum loading and morphology remain relevant design variables, but this study identifies surface chemistry as another one to control.
What the iodide result shows
In pre-platinized PTB7-Th:ITIC@TEBS nanoparticles illuminated at 700 nm, adding 82 μM KI produced an apparent quantum yield (AQY) of 17%, compared with 11% without KI. The paper reports this as a 56% increase relative to the no-KI result. AQY describes the measured response under the specified illumination and experimental conditions; it is not the fraction of sunlight converted into usable fuel in a commercial system.
The authors interpret the improvement as a result of iodide adsorbing on platinum, increasing surface electron density and potentially stabilizing Pt–H intermediates. They say photoelectrochemical chronoamperometry and Kelvin-probe force microscopy support their interpretation of platinum-surface poisoning and iodide effects. The proposed mechanism is the authors’ explanation of the results, rather than a separately demonstrated commercial operating principle.
How deposition protocol changes the comparison
The paper also reports a separate comparison of platinum-deposition methods at the same nominal 16 wt% Pt loading. Under the stated 1-sun testing conditions, pre-platinized BHJ nanoparticles reached a maximum hydrogen-evolution rate above 130 mmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹, compared with 60 mmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹ for nanoparticles platinized in situ during hydrogen evolution. The authors link the difference to dialysis after pre-platinization, which removes excess precursor and reduction products.
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This rate comparison is distinct from the 17% AQY test: it concerns deposition protocol and is not the same measurement or experimental comparison as adding 82 μM KI under 700 nm illumination.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the numbers do—and do not—mean
- 17% AQY: reported for pre-platinized PTB7-Th:ITIC@TEBS with 82 μM KI under 700 nm illumination.
- 11% AQY: the no-KI comparison in that same reported system.
- Above 130 versus 60 mmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹: a separate maximum hydrogen-evolution-rate comparison of pre-platinized and in-situ-platinized nanoparticles at nominal 16 wt% Pt under the stated 1-sun conditions.
The paper describes the 17% result as among the highest reported for BHJ nanoparticle photocatalysts. That is the authors’ literature-context characterization; it should not be read as an independently verified ranking. Neither the AQY figure nor the hydrogen-evolution rates establish commercial readiness, outdoor performance, or overall water splitting.
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