Sub-stoichiometric Covalent Organic Frameworks with Boosted Photocatalytic Production of Hydrogen Peroxide via Promoting Proton-coupled Electron Transfer Kinetics
摘要
Promoting the photocatalytic proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) kinetics in the two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (2e− ORR) is crucial for the photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production. Herein, four kinds of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) were successfully prepared via a sub-stoichiometric strategy through a one-step solvothermal method. Among them, B1.5T1-COF with polar aldehyde groups displays a high photocatalytic H2O2 generation rate of 1081.8 µmol·g−1·h−1, which is 3 times higher than that of B1T1.5-COF and 2 times higher than that of B1T1-COF. Through the corresponding experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculation, the photocatalytic mechanism is revealed that B1.5T1-COF with free aldehyde groups can raise the PCET kinetics for 2e− ORR with the aid of a stable transfer channel for e− and a favorable hydrogen donation for H+. This work might provide some insights for design and preparation of COFs with functional groups through a sub-stoichiometric strategy to modulate their photocatalytic activities.