Demonstrates effective hydrogen peroxide production in water using linear polymer photocatalysts, suggesting a promising method for solar fuel generation.
Developing an artificial photosynthesis technology that converts earth‐abundant resources into fuels using metal‐free photocatalysts with water as an electron donor is challenging. A few active organic semiconductors require harsh synthesis conditions and expensive reagents. Here, we report that a 1,4‐conjugated linear polymer, poly(2,3‐dihydroxynaphthalene) [poly23DHN], synthesized by the polymerization of inexpensive 23DHN at room temperature, behaves as a heterogeneous catalyst for artificial photosynthesis of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) in water with O 2 . The polymer is soluble in polar organic solvents but insoluble in water. The insolubilization of the polymer leads to self‐assembly of a hydroquinone–quinone donor+acceptor semiconducting architecture via H‐bonding and π‐stacking interactions. The formed powders catalyze water oxidation and O 2 reduction under visible light up to ∼700 nm. Photocatalyst sheets easily prepared by dropping a polymer‐dissolved solution onto a substrate stably generate H 2 O 2 . This polymer design that creates semiconducting structure through spontaneous H‐bonding and π‐stacking offers a scalable, easy‐to‐handle, cost‐effective approach for solar fuel generation.
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Yoshida et al. (2026) studied this question.
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