Efficient H2O2 photocatalysis by a novel organic semiconductor with electron donor-acceptor interface

Abstract

Nowadays, considerable attention has been directed towards the two-electron oxygen reduction for the photocatalytic H2O2 production. However, the challenge of insufficient charge separation capacity markedly constrains the rate of H2O2 production. Herein, we designed a donor-acceptor (D-A) interface characterized by rapid charge migration and separation to enhance the photocatalytic H2O2 production. Specifically, naphthalenetetracarboxylic acid-diaminotriazole as an organic molecule has been judiciously chosen as the electron donor, while perylenetetracarboxylic acid serves as the electron acceptor. The novel semiconductor with D-A interface performs markedly strong internal electric field and demonstrates an excellent H2O2 production rate of 3176 μM h−1. The pronounced internal electric field facilitated by the D-A interface effectively expedites charge separation and induces the migration of photogenerated carriers to the O2 reduction sites. This study introduces a novel paradigm for the design of D-A interfacial organic materials aimed at realizing enhanced photocatalytic capabilities.