Ultrastable and Efficient Visible-Light-Driven Hydrogen Production Based on Donor-Acceptor Copolymerized Covalent Organic Polymer

Extending Conjugation Lengths of the Linkage Units in Triazine-Based Porous Polymers for Enhanced Photocatalysis

Three triazine-based conjugated porous polymers (CPPs) are synthesized via a Pd-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction between derivatives of 2,4,6-tri(thiophen-2-yl)-1,3,5-triazine (TTT) and 2,4,6-triphenyl-1,3,5-triazine (TPT). Photocatalysis experiments demonstrate that the hydrogen evolution rate (HER) of ThTh-CPP (homopolymer of TTT) reach an exceptional 46.4 mmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ without co-catalysts, surpassing ThPh-CPP (8.26 mmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹, a copolymer of TTT and TPT) and PhPh-CPP (3.06 mmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹, homopolymer of TPT), as well as nearly all similar polymer-based catalysts reported to date, under visible light. The variance in photocatalytic activity is attributed to differences in the linkage units on the triazine ring. Mechanistic analysis, combining experimental and theoretical studies, highlights the potential of engineering the electron-donating ability of the linkage units to enhance photocatalytic hydrogen evolution in triazine-based conjugated polymers.

Enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production via water splitting using cobalt-based organic nanofibers under visible light irradiation

This study focuses on the development of cobalt-based organic nanofibers as efficient photocatalysts for hydrogen production via water splitting under visible light irradiation. The depletion of fossil fuels necessitates the exploration of alternative energy sources, with hydrogen emerging as a promising candidate due to its clean and renewable nature. While conventional photocatalysts have shown potential, their limited activity under visible light and fast electron-hole recombination hinder their efficiency. In this work, cobalt acetate/poly(vinyl alcohol) (CoAc/PVA) nanofibers were electrospun and treated in a novel reactor design under water gas atmosphere at 160 °C to produce continuous, smooth, and stable nanobelts. The nanofibers displayed a band gap energy of 2.29 eV, indicating strong absorption in the visible light range. Detailed characterization using FTIR, XPS, SEM, and TGA confirmed the formation of organic-inorganic hybrid nanofibers with uniform cobalt distribution. Hydrogen production experiments showed that the proposed nanofibers significantly outperformed Co3O4 nanofibers, with an optimal hydrogen generation rate of 3.266 mmol gcat -1 s-1 at 70 vol% methanol. Furthermore, the treated nanofibers demonstrated good stability over multiple cycles, maintaining a constant hydrogen production rate after the third run. The study highlights the advantages of cobalt-based organic nanofibers in overcoming the limitations of traditional photocatalysts, providing a novel route for sustainable hydrogen production.

The Development of Metal-Free Porous Organic Polymers for Sustainable Carbon Dioxide Photoreduction

A viable tactic to effectively address the climate crisis is the production of renewable fuels via photocatalytic reactions using solar energy and available resources like carbon dioxide (CO2) and water. Organic polymer material-based photocatalytic materials are thought to be one way to convert solar energy into valuable chemicals and other solar fuels. The use of porous organic polymers (POPs) for CO2 fixation and capture and sequestration to produce beneficial compounds to reduce global warming is still receiving a lot of interest. Visible light-responsive organic photopolymers that are functionally designed and include a large number of heteroatoms and an extended π-conjugation allow for the generation of photogenerated charge carriers, improved absorption of visible light, increased charge separation, and decreased charge recombination during photocatalysis. Due to their rigid structure, high surface area, flexible pore size, permanent porosity, and adaptability of the backbone for the intended purpose, POPs have drawn more and more attention. These qualities have been shown to be highly advantageous for numerous sustainable applications. POPs may be broadly categorized as crystalline or amorphous according to how much long-range order they possess. In terms of performance, conducting POPs outperform inorganic semiconductors and typical organic dyes. They are light-harvesting materials with remarkable optical characteristics, photostability, cheap cost, and low cytotoxicity. Through cocatalyst loading and morphological tweaking, this review presents optimization options for POPs preparation techniques. We provide an analysis of the ways in which the preparative techniques will affect the materials' physicochemical characteristics and, consequently, their catalytic activity. An inventory of experimental methods is provided for characterizing POPs' optical, morphological, electrochemical, and catalytic characteristics. The focus of this review is to thoroughly investigate the photochemistry of these polymeric organic photocatalysts with an emphasis on understanding the processes of internal charge generation and transport within POPs. The review covers several types of amorphous POP materials, including those based on conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs), inherent microporosity polymers, hyper-crosslinked polymers, and porous aromatic frameworks. Additionally, common synthetic approaches for these materials are briefly discussed.

Programming Tetrathiafulvalene-Based Covalent Organic Frameworks for Promoted Photoinduced Molecular Oxygen Activation

Despite the pivotal role of molecular oxygen (O2) activation in artificial photosynthesis, the activation efficiency is often restricted by sluggish exciton dissociation and charge transfer kinetics within polymer photocatalysts. Herein, we propose two tetrathiafulvalene (TTF)-based imine-linked covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with tailored donor-acceptor (D-A) structures, TTF-PDI-COF and TTF-TFPP-COF, to promote O2 activation. Because of enhanced electron push-pull interactions that facilitated charge separation and transfer behavior, TTF-PDI-COF exhibited superior photocatalytic activity in electron-induced O2 activation reactions over TTF-TFPP-COF under visible light irradiation, including the photosynthesis of (E)-3-amino-2-thiocyano-α,β-unsaturated compounds and H2O2. These findings highlight the significant potential of the rational design of COFs with D-A configurations as suitable candidates for advanced photocatalytic applications.

Achieving a solar-to-chemical efficiency of 3.6% in ambient conditions by inhibiting interlayer charges transport

Efficiently converting solar energy into chemical energy remains a formidable challenge in artificial photosynthetic systems. To date, rarely has an artificial photosynthetic system operating in the open air surpassed the highest solar-to-biomass conversion efficiency (1%) observed in plants. In this study, we present a three-dimension polymeric photocatalyst achieving a solar-to-H2O2 conversion efficiency of 3.6% under ambient conditions, including real water, open air, and room temperature. The impressive performance is attributed to the efficient storage of electrons inside materials via expeditious intramolecular charge transfer, and the fast extraction of the stored electrons by O2 that can diffuse into the internal pores of the self-supporting three-dimensional material. This construction strategy suppresses the interlayer transfer of excitons, polarizers and carriers, effectively increases the utilization of internal excitons to 82%. This breakthrough provides a perspective to substantially enhance photocatalytic performance and bear substantial implications for sustainable energy generation and environmental remediation.

Phenanthroline-functionalized donor-acceptor covalent organic frameworks as photo-responsive nanozymes for visual colorimetric detection of isoniazid

Development of metal-free nanozymes has raised concern for their extensive applications in photocatalysis and sensing fields. As novel metal-free nanomaterials, covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have engendered intense interest in the construction of nanozymes due to their structural controllability and molecular functionality. The formation of the molecular arrangement by embedding orderly donor-acceptors (D-A) linked in the framework topology to modulate material properties for highly efficient enzyme mimicking activity is of importance but challenging. Here, a strong D-A type of COF was designed and synthesized by integrating electron donor units (pyrene) and electron acceptor units (phenanthroline), named Py-PD COF. Using experiments and theoretical calculations, the introduction of a phenanthroline ring endowed the Py-PD COF with a narrowed band gap, and efficient charge transfer and separation. Further, the Py-PD COF exhibited a superior light-responsive oxidase-mimicking characteristic under visible light irradiation, which could catalyze the oxidation of 3,3',5,5-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and give the corresponding evolution of color. The nanoenzymatic activity of the Py-PD COF was light-regulated, which offers a fascinating advantage because of its high efficiency and spatial controllability. Based on previously mentioned characteristics, an "on-off" sensing platform for the colorimetric analysis of isoniazid (INH) could be constructed with a good linear relationship (2-100 μM) and a low limit of detection (1.26 μM). This research shows that not only is Py-PD COF an environmentally friendly compound for the colorimetric detection of INH, but it is also capable of providing the interesting D-A type COF-based material for designing an excellent nanozyme.

Performance and Solution Structures of Side-Chain-Bridged Oligo (Ethylene Glycol) Polymer Photocatalysts for Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution under Natural Light Illumination

Converting solar energy into hydrogen energy using conjugated polymers (CP) is a promising solution to the energy crisis. Improving water solubility plays one of the critical factors in enhancing the hydrogen evolution rate (HER) of CP photocatalysts. In this study, a novel concept of incorporating hydrophilic side chains to connect the backbones of CPs to improve their HER is proposed. This concept is realized through the polymerization of carbazole units bridged with octane, ethylene glycol, and penta-(ethylene glycol) to form three new side-chain-braided (SCB) CPs: PCz2S-OCt, PCz2S-EG, and PCz2S-PEG. Verified through transient absorption spectra, the enhanced capability of PCz2S-PEG for ultrafast electron transfer and reduced recombination effects has been demonstrated. Small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) analyses reveal that these three SCB-CPs form cross-linking networks with different mass fractal dimensions (f) in aqueous solution. With the lowest f value of 2.64 and improved water/polymer interfaces, PCz2S-PEG demonstrates the best HER, reaching up to 126.9 µmol h-1 in pure water-based photocatalytic solution. Moreover, PCz2S-PEG exhibits comparable performance in seawater-based photocatalytic solution under natural sunlight. In situ SAXS analysis further reveals nucleation-dominated generation of hydrogen nanoclusters with a size of ≈1.5 nm in the HER of PCz2S-PEG under light illumination.

Increasing Donor-Acceptor Interactions and Particle Dispersibility of Covalent Triazine Frameworks for Higher Crystallinity and Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity

Covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) have recently emerged as an efficient class of photocatalysts due to their structural diversity and excellent stability. Nevertheless, the synthetic reactions of CTFs have usually suffered from poor reversibility, resulting in a low crystallinity of the materials. Here, we report the introduction of methoxy groups on the monomer 2,5-diphenylthiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole to reinforce interlayer π-π interactions of the resulting donor-acceptor type CTFs, which improved crystallinity, further increasing the visible light absorption range and allowing for efficient separation and transport of carriers. The morphology is strongly correlated to the wettability, which has a significant impact on the mass transfer capacity and photocatalytic activity in the photocatalytic reaction. To further improve crystallinity and photocatalytic activity, CTF-NWU-T3 photocatalysts in a bowl shape were prepared using a SiO2 template. The energy band structure, photocatalytic hydrogen evolution, and pollutant degradation efficiency of involved materials were investigated. The donor-acceptor type CTF-NWU-T3 with a bowl-shaped morphology, synthesized using the template method and the introduction of methoxy groups, exhibited an excellent photocatalytic hydrogen production rate of 32064 μmol·h-1·g-1. This study highlights the significance of improving donor-acceptor interactions and increasing the dispersibility of catalyst particles in dispersion to enhance the photocatalytic activity of heterogeneous photocatalysts.

Photocatalytic H2O2 production from water and air using porous organic polymers

Producing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) from H2O and O2 under visible light irradiation is a promising solar-to-chemical energy conversion technology. Hydrogen peroxide has versatile applications as a green oxidant and liquid energy carrier but has been produced through energy-intensive and complex anthraquinone processes. Herein, we report the rational design of efficient and stable porous organic polymer (POP) containing redox centers, anthraquinone photocatalyst (ANQ-POP) for solar H2O2 production. ANQ-POP is readily synthesized with stable dioxin-linkages via efficient one-pot, transition-metal-free nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions between 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octafluoro-9,10-anthraquinone (OFANQ) and 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexahydroxytriphenylene (HHTP). Exhibiting a fibrillar morphology, ANQ-POP boasts a high surface area of 380 m2∙g-1 and demonstrates thermal stability. With 10 % ethanol, ANQ-POP yields an H2O2 production rate of 320 μmol g-1 under visible light irradiation. Moreover, ANQ-POP alone can efficiently produce H2O2 without any photosensitizers and cocatalysts. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the quinone groups of the anthraquinone moieties can serve as redox centers for H2O2 production under light irradiation. Furthermore, unlike most conventional photocatalysts, it can produce H2O2 using only water and air by catalyzing both oxygen reduction and evolution reactions under light irradiation. Our findings provide an efficient, eco-friendly pathway for photocatalytic production of H2O2 under mild reaction conditions using a dioxin-derived POP-based photocatalyst.

Porous organic polymers (POPs) for environmental remediation

Modern global industrialization along with the ever-increasing growth of the population has resulted in continuous enhancement in the discharge and accumulation of various toxic and hazardous chemicals in the environment. These harmful pollutants, including toxic gases, inorganic heavy metal ions, anthropogenic waste, persistent organic pollutants, toxic dyes, pharmaceuticals, volatile organic compounds, etc., are destroying the ecological balance of the environment. Therefore, systematic monitoring and effective remediation of these toxic pollutants either by adsorptive removal or by catalytic degradation are of great significance. From this viewpoint, porous organic polymers (POPs), being two- or three-dimensional polymeric materials, constructed from small organic molecules connected with rigid covalent bonds have come forth as a promising platform toward various leading applications, especially for efficient environmental remediation. Their unique chemical and structural features including high stability, tunable pore functionalization, and large surface area have boosted the transformation of POPs into various macro-physical forms such as thick and thin-film membranes, which led to a new direction in advanced level pollutant removal, separation and catalytic degradation. In this review, our focus is to highlight the recent progress and achievements in the strategic design, synthesis, architectural-engineering and applications of POPs and their composite materials toward environmental remediation. Several strategies to improve the adsorption efficiency and catalytic degradation performance along with the in-depth interaction mechanism of POP-based materials have been systematically summarized. In addition, evolution of POPs from regular powder form application to rapid and more efficient size and chemo-selective, "real-time" applicable membrane-based application has been further highlighted. Finally, we put forward our perspective on the challenges and opportunities of these materials toward real-world implementation and future prospects in next generation remediation technology.

Three-Component Donor-π-Acceptor Covalent-Organic Frameworks for Boosting Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Two-dimensional covalent-organic frameworks (2D COFs) have recently emerged as great prospects for their applications as new photocatalytic platforms in solar-to-hydrogen conversion; nevertheless, their inefficient solar energy capture and fast charge recombination hinder the improvement of photocatalytic hydrogen production performance. Herein, two photoactive three-component donor-π-acceptor (TCDA) materials were constructed using a multicomponent synthesis strategy by introducing electron-deficient triazine and electron-rich benzotrithiophene moieties into frameworks through sp² carbon and imine linkages, respectively. Compared with two-component COFs, the novel TCDA-COFs are more convenient in regulating the inherent photophysical properties, thereby realizing outstanding photocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution from water. Remarkably, the first sp² carbon-linked TCDA-COF displays an impressive hydrogen evolution rate of 70.8 ± 1.9 mmol g^-1 h^-1 with excellent reusability in the presence of 1 wt % Pt under visible-light illumination (420-780 nm). Utilizing the combination of diversified spectroscopy and theoretical prediction, we show that the full π-conjugated linkage not only effectively broadens the visible-light harvesting of COFs but also enhances charge transfer and separation efficiency.

Role of Seawater Ions in Forming an Effective Interface between Photocatalyst/Cocatalyst

Photocatalytic (PC) hydrogen production from water splitting is a promising route to fulfill the current energy demand in a sustainable manner. For photocatalysis to become industrially viable, seawater should be used as an ideal solvent. Until now, a variety of semiconductor photocatalysts have been exploited for seawater splitting; however, there has been a lack of a well-established catalytic system for seawater splitting, as seawater ions have an uncertain effect on water splitting. Recently, ionized carbon nitride PC has been shown to substantially enhance water splitting in the presence of ions; however, the underlying manner by which the ions promote PC has still not been fully understood. Presented here is a systematic evaluation of an ionized low-cost carbon nitride-based semiconductor for seawater splitting. A detailed study has been done using this salt-type semiconductor in the presence of a variety of ions (Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Cl^-, SO₄^2-), and their role has been probed in modulating the photocatalytic activity. Multiple measurements have provided insight as to how the presence of cations aid advantageously in forming an effective in situ interface between catalyst/cocatalyst for improved electron transfer. Previously, these ions were purported to change the hole quenching ability only of the photocatalyst, whereas here it has been shown that the change in the electron transfer ability of the photocatalyst to cocatalyst appears to be the cause for augmented PC. This improved interfacial electron transfer has been used to rationalize the 8-fold enhancement in the photocatalytic rate in the presence of simulated seawater compared to deionized water and provides the impetus for the use of ionized carbon nitride structures for sustainable PC splitting of seawater.

Redox-active polyimides for energy conversion and storage: from synthesis to application

As the demand for next-generation electronics is increasing, organic and polymer-based semiconductors are in the spotlight as suitable materials owing to their tailorable structures along with flexible properties. Especially, polyimide (PI) has been widely utilised in electronics because of its outstanding mechanical and thermal properties and chemical resistance originating from its crystallinity, conjugated structure and π-π interactions. PI has recently been receiving more attention in the energy storage and conversion fields due to its unique redox activity and charge transfer complex structure. In this review, we focus on the design of PI structures with improved electrochemical and photocatalytic activities for use as redox-active materials in photo- and electrocatalysts, batteries and supercapacitors. We anticipate that this review will offer insight into the utilisation of redox-active PI-based polymeric materials for the development of future electronics.

Enhanced Built-in Electric Field Promotes Photocatalytic Hydrogen Performance of Polymers Derived from the Introduction of B←N Coordination Bond

High concentrations of active carriers on the surface of a semiconductor through energy/electron transfer are the core process in the photocatalytic hydrogen production from water. However, it remains a challenge to significantly improve photocatalytic performance by modifying simple molecular modulation. Herein, a new strategy is proposed to enhance the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance using boron and nitrogen elements to construct B←N coordination bonds. Experimental results show that polynaphthopyridine borane (PNBN) possessing B←N coordination bonds shows a hydrogen evolution rate of 217.4 µmol h-1 , which is significantly higher than that of the comparison materials 0 µmol h-1 for polyphenylnaphthalene (PNCC) and 0.66 µmol h-1 for polypyridylnaphthalene (PNNC), mainly attributed to the formation of a strong built-in electric field that promotes the separation of photo-generated electrons/holes. This work opens up new prospects for the design of highly efficient polymeric photocatalysts at the molecular level.

Effect of Nitrogen Atom Introduction on the Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Activity of Covalent Triazine Frameworks: Experimental and Theoretical Study

The construction of high-performance photocatalyst has always been explored. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), especially keto-amine-linked COFs, have many advantages, such as adjustable bandgaps, π-π stacking structure, excellent response ability to visible light, high specific surface area, high mobility of carrier carriers, good physical and chemical stability, and so on, showing strong potential applications in photocatalytic solar energy conversion and hydrogen production. Two analogous covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs), T3H-CTF and T3N-CTF, have been synthesized via Schiff-base condensation reactions between 2,4,6-trihydroxybenzene-1,3,5-tricarbalehyde (MOP) and the corresponding triazine-based aromatic amines under solvothermal condition. For T3N-CTF, the peripheral aromatic linker to the central triazine unit was the pyridine unit, instead of the benzene unit in the T3H-CTF unit. T3N-CTF had a hydrogen production rate (HPR) of 6485.05 μmol g^-1  h^-1 , much higher than that of T3H-CTF (2028.06 μmol g^-1  h^-1 ). Accordingly, T3N-CTF had a much higher apparent quantum yield (AQY) of 12.2 % than that of T3H-CTF (4.12 %) at 405 nm. The experimental and theoretical results showed that the extended light absorption range, enlarged surface area, and enhanced separation and transportation efficiencies of charge carriers of T3N-CTF compared with T3H-CTF were uniformly induced by the introduction of peripheral nitrogen atoms into the skeleton of former CTF, which eventually boosted the visible-light induced hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The work suggests a new method for enhancing the intrinsic HER activity by modulating the electronic features of the conjugated COFs by the introduction of pyridinic N atoms.

Ionothermal Synthesis of Covalent Triazine Frameworks in a NaCl-KCl-ZnCl2 Eutectic Salt for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Covalent triazine-based frameworks (CTFs) are typically produced by the salt-melt polycondensation of aromatic nitriles in the presence of ZnCl₂ . In this reaction, molten ZnCl₂ salt acts as both a solvent and Lewis acid catalyst. However, when cyclotrimerization takes place at temperatures above 300 °C, undesired carbonization occurs. In this study, an ionothermal synthesis method for CTF-based photocatalysts was developed using a ternary NaCl-KCl-ZnCl₂ eutectic salt (ES) mixture with a melting point of approximately 200 °C. This temperature is lower than the melting point of pure ZnCl₂ (318 °C), thus providing milder salt-melt conditions. These conditions facilitated the polycondensation process, while avoiding carbonization of the polymeric backbone. The resulting CTF-ES₂₀₀ exhibited enhanced optical and electronic properties, and displayed remarkable photocatalytic performance in the hydrogen evolution reaction.

Lignin-Supported Heterogeneous Photocatalyst for the Direct Generation of H2O2 from Seawater

The development of smart and sustainable photocatalysts is in high priority for the synthesis of H₂O₂ because the global demand for H₂O₂ is sharply rising. Currently, the global market share for H₂O₂ is around 4 billion US$ and is expected to grow by about 5.2 billion US$ by 2026. Traditional synthesis of H₂O₂ via the anthraquinone method is associated with the generation of substantial chemical waste as well as the requirement of a high energy input. In this respect, the oxidative transformation of pure water is a sustainable solution to meet the global demand. In fact, several photocatalysts have been developed to achieve this chemistry. However, 97% of the water on our planet is seawater, and it contains 3.0-5.0% of salts. The presence of salts in water deactivates the existing photocatalysts, and therefore, the existing photocatalysts have rarely shown reactivity toward seawater. Considering this, a sustainable heterogeneous photocatalyst, derived from hydrolysis lignin, has been developed, showing an excellent reactivity toward generating H₂O₂ directly from seawater under air. In fact, in the presence of this catalyst, we have been able to achieve 4085 μM of H₂O₂. Expediently, the catalyst has shown longer durability and can be recycled more than five times to generate H₂O₂ from seawater. Finally, full characterizations of this smart photocatalyst and a detailed mechanism have been proposed on the basis of the experimental evidence and multiscale/level calculations.

Intramolecular π-conjugated channel expansion achieved by doping cross-linked dopants into carbon nitride frameworks for propelling photocatalytic hydrogen evolution and mechanism insight

PYM as a cross-linked bridge in CN frameworks via a multi-bonding mode expedites the transfer and separation of intramolecular photoproduced electron–hole pairs by π-conjugated channel expansion to improve the PHE activity.

Modulating Carrier Transfer over Carbazolic Conjugated Microporous Polymers via Donor Structural Design for Functionalization of Thiophenols

Developing photocatalysts to steer conversion of solar energy toward high-value-added fine chemicals represents a potentially viable approach to address the energy crisis and environmental issues. However, enablement of this conversion is usually impeded by the sluggish kinetic process for proton-coupled electron transfer and rapid recombination of photogenerated excitons. Herein, we report a simple and general structural expansion strategy to facilitate charge transfer in conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) via engineering the donor surrounding the trifluoromethylphenyl core. The resulting CMPs combine high surface area, strong light-harvesting capabilities, and tunable optical properties endowed by extended π-conjugation; the optimized compound CbzCMP-5 generated from 9,9',9″-(2-(trifluoromethyl)benzene-1,3,5-triyl)tris(9H-carbazole) remarkably enhanced the photogenerated carrier transfer efficiency, enabling the functionalization of thiophenols toward thiocarbamates and 3-sulfenylindoles with high photocatalytic efficiency. Most importantly, the in-depth insights into the carrier-transfer processes open up new prospects on further optimization and rational design of photoactive polymers for efficient charge-transfer-mediated reactions.

Nanoscale Covalent Organic Frameworks with Donor-Acceptor Structures as Highly Efficient Light-Responsive Oxidase-like Mimics for Colorimetric Detection of Glutathione

Although organic artificial enzymes have been reported as biomimetic oxidation catalysts and are widely used for colorimetric biosensors, developing organic artificial enzymes with high enzymatic activity is still a challenge. Two-dimensional (2D) covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have shown superior potential in biocatalysts because of their periodic π-π arrays, tunable pore size and structure, large surface area, and thermal stability. The interconnection of electron acceptor and donor building blocks in the 2D conjugated COF skeleton can lead to narrower band gaps and efficient charge separation and transportation and thus is helpful to improve catalytic activity. Herein, a donor-acceptor 2D COF was synthesized using tetrakis(4-aminophenyl)pyrene (Py) as an electron donor and thieno[3,2-b]thiophene-2,5-dicarbaldehyde (TT) as an electron acceptor. Under visible light irradiation, the donor-acceptor 2D COF exhibited superior enzymatic catalytic activity, which could catalyze the oxidation of chromogenic substrates such as 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) by the formation of superoxide radicals and holes. Based on the above property, the photoactivated donor-acceptor 2D COF with enzyme-like catalytic properties was designed as a robust colorimetric probe for cheap, highly sensitive, and rapid colorimetric detection of glutathione (GSH); the corresponding linear range of GSH was 0.4-60 μM, and the limit of detection was 0.225 μM. This study not only presents the construction of COF-based light-activated nanozymes for environmentally friendly colorimetric detection of GSH but also provides a smart strategy for improving nanozyme activity.

Pathways towards Boosting Solar-Driven Hydrogen Evolution of Conjugated Polymers

Photocatalytic H₂ evolution under solar illumination has been considered to be a promising technology for green energy resources. Developing highly efficient photocatalysts for photocatalytic water splitting is long-term desired but still challenging. Conjugated polymers (CPs) have attracted ongoing attention and have been considered to be promising alternatives for solar-driven H₂ production due to the excellent merits of the large π-conjugated system, versatile structures, tunable photoelectric properties, and well-defined chemical composites. The excellent merits have offered numerous methods for boosting photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (PHE) of initial CP-based photocatalysts, whose apparent quantum yield is dramatically increased from <1 to >20% in recent five years. According to the photocatalytic mechanism, this review herein systematically summarizes three major strategies for boosting photocatalytic H₂ production of CPs: 1) enhancing visible light absorption, 2) suppressing recombination of electron-hole pairs, and 3) boosting surface catalytic reaction, mainly involving eleven methods, that is, copolymerization, modifying cross-linker, constructing a donor-acceptor structure, functionalization, fabricating organic heterojunction, loading cocatalyst, and surface modification. Finally, the perspectives towards the future development of PHE are proposed.

Nanoporous and nonporous conjugated donor-acceptor polymer semiconductors for photocatalytic hydrogen production

Conjugated polymers (CPs) as photocatalysts have evoked substantial interest. Their geometries and physical (e.g., chemical and thermal stability and solubility), optical (e.g., light absorption range), and electronic properties (e.g., charge carrier mobility, redox potential, and exciton binding energy) can be easily tuned via structural design. In addition, they are of light weight (i.e., mainly composed of C, N, O, and S). To improve the photocatalytic performance of CPs and better understand the catalytic mechanisms, many strategies with respect to material design have been proposed. These include tuning the bandgap, enlarging the surface area, enabling more efficient separation of electron-hole pairs, and enhancing the charge carrier mobility. In particular, donor-acceptor (D-A) polymers were demonstrated as a promising platform to develop high-performance photocatalysts due to their easily tunable bandgaps, high charge carrier mobility, and efficient intramolecular charge transfer. In this minireview, recent advances of D-A polymers in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution are summarized with a particular focus on modulating the optical and electronic properties of CPs by varying the acceptor units. The challenges and prospects associated with D-A polymer-based photocatalysts are described as well.

Nanostructured Lateral Boryl Substitution Conjugated Donor-Acceptor Oligomers for Visible-Light-Driven Hydrogen Production

Poor charge separation is the main factor that limits the photocatalytic hydrogen generation efficiency of organic conjugated polymers. In this work, a series of linear donor-acceptor (D-A) type oligomers are synthesized by a palladium-catalyzed Sonogashira-Hagihara coupling of electron-deficient diborane unit and different dihalide substitution sulfur functionalized monomers. Such diborane-based A unit exerts great impact on the resulting oligomers, including distinct semiconductor characters with isolated lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) orbits locating in diborane-containing fragment, and elevated LUMO level higher than water reduction potential. Relative to A-A type counterpart, the enhanced dipole polarization effect in D-A oligomers facilitates separation of photogenerated charge carriers, as evidenced by notably prolonged electron lifetime. Owing to π-π stacking of rigid backbone, the oligomers can aggregate into an interesting 2D semicrystalline nanosheet (≈2.74 nm), which is rarely reported in linear polymeric photocatalysts prepared by similar carbon-carbon coupling reaction. Despite low surface area (30.3 m² g^-1 ), such ultrathin nanosheet D-A oligomer offers outstanding visible light (λ > 420 nm) hydrogen evolution rate of 833 µmol g^-1 h^-1 , 14 times greater than its A-A analogue (61 µmol g^-1 h^-1 ). The study highlights the great potential of using boron element to construct D-A type oligomers for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen generation.

Thiazolo[5,4‑d]thiazole linked conjugated microporous polymer photocatalysis for selective aerobic oxidation of amines

Recently, conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) comprised of thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole (TzTz) linkages have received much attention due to their excellent photoelectric properties. Herein, the polycondensation of dithiooxamide and benzyl aldehydes of C₂, C₃, and D_2h symmetry afforded three TzTz-linked CMPs, namely TzTz-CMP-1, TzTz-CMP-2, and TzTz-CMP-3. Importantly, the porous and flexible characteristics of TzTz-linked CMPs enable the smooth selective aerobic oxidation of amines in ethanol (C₂H₅OH), a clean but redox-active solvent. All three TzTz-linked CMPs significantly surpass the benchmark mesoporous graphite carbonnitride (mpg-C₃N₄) photocatalyst. Intriguingly, TzTz-CMP-2 displays the best photocatalytic activity for the blue-light-mediated selective transformation of primary and secondary amines into imines. The conversions of amines were up to 90% with excellent selectivities for imines. This work highlights that CMPs with TzTz linkages may offer efficient photocatalytic selective transformations under genuinely ambient conditions.

A metal-free photocatalyst for highly efficient hydrogen peroxide photoproduction in real seawater

Artificial photosynthesis of H2O2 from H2O and O2, as a spotless method, has aroused widespread interest. Up to date, most photocatalysts still suffer from serious salt-deactivated effects with huge consumption of photogenerated charges, which severely limit their wide application. Herein, by using a phenolic condensation approach, carbon dots, organic dye molecule procyanidins and 4-methoxybenzaldehyde are composed into a metal-free photocatalyst for the photosynthetic production of H2O2 in seawater. This catalyst exhibits high photocatalytic ability to produce H2O2 with the yield of 1776 μmol g-1h-1 (λ ≥ 420 nm; 34.8 mW cm-2) in real seawater, about 4.8 times higher than the pure polymer. Combining with in-situ photoelectrochemical and transient photovoltage analysis, the active site and the catalytic mechanism of this composite catalyst in seawater are also clearly clarified. This work opens up an avenue for a highly efficient and practical, available catalyst for H2O2 photoproduction in real seawater.

Donor–acceptor covalent organic framework/g-C3N4 hybrids for efficient visible light photocatalytic H2 production

A donor–acceptor type covalent organic framework (COF) was used to construct TBTA/g-C₃N₄ hybrids for photocatalytic H₂ evolution. Under visible light irradiation, the hybrids exhibited an optimized H₂ evolution rate of 11.73 mmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ without Pt.

Beyond C3N4 π-conjugated metal-free polymeric semiconductors for photocatalytic chemical transformations

Photocatalysis with stable, efficient and inexpensive metal-free catalysts is one of the most promising options for non-polluting energy production. This review article covers the state-of-the-art development of various effective metal-free polymeric photocatalysts with large π-conjugated units for chemical transformations including water splitting, CO2 and N2 reduction, organic synthesis and monomer polymerisation. The article starts with the catalytic mechanisms of metal-free photocatalysts. Then a particular focus is on the rational manipulation of π-conjugation enlargement, charge separation, electronic structures and band structures in the design of metal-free polymeric photocatalysts. Following the design principles, the selection and construction of functional units are discussed, as well as the connecting bonds and dimensions of π-conjugated polymeric photocatalysts. Finally the hot and emerging applications of metal-free polymeric photocatalysts for photocatalytic chemical transformations are summarized. The strategies provide potential avenues to address the challenges of catalyst activity, selectivity and stability in the further development of highly effective metal-free polymeric photocatalysts.

Construction of a novel 2D–2D heterojunction by coupling a covalent organic framework and In2S3 for photocatalytic removal of organic pollutants with high efficiency

TpPa-1 COF was coupled with an inorganic narrow-band gap semiconductor In2S3 to form a novel 2D–2D heterojunction by a facile hydrothermal method.

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

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⁻¹ g⁻¹ after 24 h of visible irradiation.

Recent Advances in Conjugated Polymers for Visible-Light-Driven Water Splitting

With the ambition of solving the challenges of the shortage of fossil fuels and their associated environmental pollution, visible-light-driven splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen using semiconductor photocatalysts has emerged as a promising technology to provide environmentally friendly energy vectors. Among the current library of developed photocatalysts, organic conjugated polymers present unique advantages of sufficient light-absorption efficiency, excellent stability, tunable electronic properties, and economic applicability. As a class of rising photocatalysts, organic conjugated polymers offer high flexibility in tuning the framework of the backbone and porosity to fulfill the requirements for photocatalytic applications. In the past decade, significant progress has been made in visible-light-driven water splitting employing organic conjugated polymers. The recent development of the structural design principles of organic conjugated polymers (including linear, crosslinked, and supramolecular self-assembled polymers) toward efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution, oxygen evolution, and overall water splitting is described, thus providing a comprehensive reference for the field. Finally, current challenges and perspectives are also discussed.

Bisulfone-Functionalized Organic Polymer Photocatalysts for High-Performance Hydrogen Evolution

Conjugated polymers show great potential in the application of photocatalysis, particularly for the photoreduction reaction of water to generate hydrogen. Molecular structure design is a key part for building a high-performance organic photocatalyst. Herein, two bisulfone-containing conjugated polymer photocatalysts were constructed with 1D or 3D polymer structures, and the effect of polymer geometry on photocatalytic activity was studied. It was found that the linear polymer PySEO-1 exhibited increased photocatalytic performance compared with the 3D polymer network PySEO-2 because the enhanced coplanarity of the polymeric chain in PySEO-1 promoted the photogenerated charge-carrier transmission along the 1D main chain. As a result, an attractive hydrogen generation rate of 9477 μmol h^-1  g^-1 was obtained with PySEO-1 under broadband light irradiation. PySEO-1 also exhibited a high external quantum efficiency of 4.1 % at an incident light wavelength of 400 nm, demonstrating that the bisulfone-containing polymers are attractive as organic photocatalysts for hydrogen production.

Bisulfone-Functionalized Organic Polymer Photocatalysts for High-Performance Hydrogen Evolution

Conjugated polymers show great potential in the application of photocatalysis, particularly for the photoreduction reaction of water to generate hydrogen. Molecular structure design is a key part for building a high-performance organic photocatalyst. Herein, two bisulfone-containing conjugated polymer photocatalysts were constructed with 1D or 3D polymer structures, and the effect of polymer geometry on photocatalytic activity was studied. It was found that the linear polymer PySEO-1 exhibited increased photocatalytic performance compared with the 3D polymer network PySEO-2 because the enhanced coplanarity of the polymeric chain in PySEO-1 promoted the photogenerated charge-carrier transmission along the 1D main chain. As a result, an attractive hydrogen generation rate of 9477 μmol h^-1  g^-1 was obtained with PySEO-1 under broadband light irradiation. PySEO-1 also exhibited a high external quantum efficiency of 4.1 % at an incident light wavelength of 400 nm, demonstrating that the bisulfone-containing polymers are attractive as organic photocatalysts for hydrogen production.

Metal-free photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution

This article provides a comprehensive review of the latest progress, challenges and recommended future research related to metal-free photocatalysts for hydrogen productionviawater-splitting.

Fully Conjugated Covalent Organic Polymer with Carbon-Encapsulated Ni2P for Highly Sustained Photocatalytic H2 Production from Seawater

Organic photocatalysts are widely used to mimic artificial photosynthesis for sustainable solar-driven hydrogen production from water splitting. However, few photocatalytic H₂ production is reported using seawater, which is a significantly important parameter for practical application, and most organic photocatalysts employed precious and scarce Pt as a cocatalyst. Herein, we report an organic hybridized photocatalyst (termed COP-TF@CNi₂P), carbon-encapsulated nickel phosphide, as a cocatalyst loaded on a fully conjugated organic polymer, which is applied for stable and efficient H₂ generation from seawater splitting. Both experiments and theory calculations suggest that the carbon layers covered around nickel phosphide not only can strengthen π-π interactions with the polymers but also can attract the photoinduced electrons from COP-TF to the surface of CNi₂P, which contributes to expedite exciton dissociation. As a result, the as-synthesized COP-TF@CNi₂P achieves a remarkable photocatalytic H₂ production efficiency up to 2500 μmol g^-1 h^-1 (λ ≥ 400 nm) from seawater and even maintains 92% of initial efficiency after 16 intermittent cycles, which lasts for half a month.

Arylene Ethynylene-Functionalized Bithiazole-Based Zinc Polymers for Ultraefficient Photocatalytic Activity

Polymers 4 containing poly(arylene ethynylene) were synthesized and characterized systematically. Among them, 4c exhibited a remarkable H2 evolution rate (14.32 mmol h-1 g-1) with visible-light irradiation, lasting 72 h in different water qualities; the corresponding apparent quantum yield was 11.6% at 450 nm.

Conjugated Microporous Polymers as Heterogeneous Photocatalysts for Efficient Degradation of a Mustard-Gas Simulant

Compared with traditional metal-based photosensitizers, heterogeneous and organic photocatalysts with visible-light activity are more environmentally friendly and sustainable. The simultaneous introduction of electron-rich and electron-deficient units in donor-acceptor typed conjugated microporous polymer (CMP) photocatalysts can significantly enhance their visible-light harvesting and separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers. Here, two carbazole-based CMPs (CzBSe-CMP and CzBQn-CMP) were successfully constructed through a cost-effective process. They show inherent porosity with large Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area and excellent thermal and chemical stability. Their photoelectric properties, energy levels, optical band gaps, transient photocurrent response, and photocatalytic activity could be conveniently tailored through tuning the electron-deficient moiety in polymer networks. More importantly, CzBSe-CMP was found to be a superior solid photocatalyst for selective photo-oxidation of mustard gas simulant 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide into a nontoxic product by using molecular oxygen as a sustainable oxygen source under visible-light illumination. In addition, the obtained CMP-based photocatalysts also showed excellent recyclability and could be reutilized through adding more simulants or a simple separation procedure. The current contribution provides great application prospects for CMPs as metal-free, solid photocatalysts in organic transformation and environmental protection.

Significant improvement of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution of diketopyrrolopyrrole-based donor–acceptor conjugated polymers through side-chain engineering

The hydrogen evolution rate of PDPP3B-O4 with butoxy chain was 5.53 mmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹ with 1% Pt loading (λ > 400 nm), increased 110 times than PDPP3B-C8 with octyl chain due to wider absorption spectrum and better wettability via side chain engineering.

Side-chain-tuned π-extended porous polymers for visible light-activated hydrogen evolution

Side-chain-tuned conjugated porous polymers with sp²-carbon-linked skeleton feature excellent π-delocalization, narrow band gaps, hydrophilicity and chemical stability, allowing for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from water splitting.