PtI_x/[(CH₃)₂NH₂]₃[BiI₆] as a well-dispersed photocatalyst for hydrogen production in hydroiodic acid

Constructing a photocatalytic system for hydrogen generation is a promising means for producing clean and renewable energy. However, developing photocatalysts with high efficiency in a wide range of visible light is still a formidable challenge. Here, we report on a highly active system for photocatalytic hydrogen production from hydroiodic acid splitting that contains a soluble organic-inorganic hybrid PtI_x/[(CH₃)₂NH₂]₃[BiI₆] as a newcomer photocatalyst for harvesting a wide range of visible light (up to 630 nm). Under irradiation at 465 nm, the photocatalytic system achieves apparent quantum yield of ~82.8% for photocatalytic hydrogen production along with a stable activity for at least 100 h. We propose that the superior photocatalytic performance is attributed to collisions between [BiI₆]³⁻ and Pt ions (Pt²⁺ or Pt⁴⁺), giving rise to efficient charge separation, which could be an effective approach towards designing and fabricating organic-inorganic semiconductors with improved performance in photocatalysis.