Electrochemical Oxidation of Water Through Conducting Polymer for Hydroxyl Radical Generation at Ultra‐Low Voltage
Abstract
ABSTRACT Although conducting polymers (CPs) have catalyzed the development of advanced optoelectronic devices, their performance in aqueous environments remains largely underexplored due to the quenching of electron/hole by water molecules. In this study, we present an unconventional electrochemical strategy to achieve unexpected hydroxyl radical (•OH) generation at a remarkably low voltage of 0.4 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). This is realized through an integrated system comprising CPs of poly(fluorene‐alt‐thienopyrazine) (PFTP) adsorbed onto the partially oxidized copper sheet. Microscopy and surface analysis techniques demonstrated that the Cu 2 O layer on the copper sheet surface could enhance the interaction between PFTP and copper sheet, thereby tuning the oxidation potential of PFTP from 1.27 to 1.70 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). It was the specific shift that makes thermodynamically capable of oxidizing water into •OH upon electrical stimulation. Theoretical calculations and mass spectrometry imaging results indicated that the PFTP/Copper interaction is mainly attributed to the interaction between the S atoms on the PFTP backbone and Cu 2 O sites, and the weak interfacial interaction effectively tuned the HOMO energy level of PFTP. Finally, the PFTP/Copper system demonstrates a superior sterilization rate of 99% against bacterial biofilms at low operating voltages, offering a sustainable and energy‐efficient solution for anti‐biofouling applications.
Article Details
Authors (17)
Shengpeng Xia
Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry
Haitao Yuan
Wen Yu
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Yuhsuan Lee
Beijing National Laboratory For Molecular Sciences Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing P. R. China
Jiantao Lin
Zhiwen Yang
Key Laboratory of Organic Solids Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100190 P.R. China
Yuxin Liu
Shuming Bai
Key Laboratory of Photochemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry
Feng He
Institute of Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, School of Environment and Ecology
Ye Zou
Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Chong‐an Di
Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
Yanyan Zhang
Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Aqueous Battery Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Electron Microscope Center of Fudan University, Shanghai Wusong Laboratory of Materials Science, and Faculty of Chemistry and Materials
Fuyi Wang
School of Chemical Sciences
Fengting Lv
Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry
Yiming Huang
Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry
Shu Wang
Haotian Bai
Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry