Visible‐Light‐Driven Hydrogen Evolution Using Planarized Conjugated Polymer Photocatalysts

Linear poly(p-phenylene)s are modestly active UV photocatalysts for hydrogen production in the presence of a sacrificial electron donor. Introduction of planarized fluorene, carbazole, dibenzob,dthiophene or dibenzob,dthiophene sulfone units greatly enhances the H2 evolution rate. The most active dibenzob,dthiophene sulfone co-polymer has a UV photocatalytic activity that rivals TiO2, but is much more active under visible light. The dibenzob,dthiophene sulfone co-polymer has an apparent quantum yield of 2.3 % at 420 nm, as compared to 0.1 % for platinized commercial pristine carbon nitride.