Development of dual-functional catalysis for hydrazine oxidation by an organic p-n bilayer through in situ formation of a silver co-catalyst

Dual-functional catalysis indicates that an organic p-n bilayer induces the catalytic oxidation involved in downhill reactions, not only under illumination but also in the dark. When the organo-bilayer is composed of a perylene derivative (3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic-bis-benzimidazole (PTCBI), n-type) and cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc, p-type), only the photocatalytic oxidation of hydrazine (N2H4) occurs. However, the loading of Ag co-catalyst onto the CoPc surface in the PTCBI/CoPc bilayer successfully led to dual catalysis in terms of the oxidation of N2H4 to N2. To develop the present dual catalysis Ag loading was essential to achieve the catalysis performance particularly without irradiation.