Photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide production from water using a cyano-covalent organic framework

The demand for sustainable chemical production methods has led to significant advancements in photocatalysis. This study explores the photocatalytic production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) from water using a covalent organic framework (CYANO−COF) synthesized from triformylphloroglucinol (Tp) and 4,4′-diamino-[1,1′-biphenyl]-3,3′-dicarbonitrile (Bp−CN) via Schiffbase condensation. The synthesized COF material exhibited apredominantly AB stacking structure with an optimal band gap (2.22 eV) for visible-light absorption and effective charge separation. Furthermore, the photoelectrochemical characterizations revealed the photoresponsive nature of the material by creating a high charge density under illumination. Under illumination, the photocatalyst demonstrated efficient H2O2 generation with production rates of 550 μmolg−1h−1 using only water and 371 μmolg−1h−1 in the presence of ethanol. The sacrificial-agent-free system aligns with green chemistry principles, simplifying reaction conditions and reducing the environmental impact. Mechanistic studies confirmed the role of photoinduced electron−hole pairs in water oxidation and oxygen reduction. This research underscores the potential of CYANO−COF materials in sustainable H2O2 production using only water and sunlight thus highlighting avenues for optimizing long-term stability and efficiency.