Covalent organic framework (COF), featuring in highly ordered conjugated hexagonal array architecture, gains much attention due to their application potential in emerging energy and optoelectronic technologies. Polyimide-based COF (PI-COF) has alkaline-hydrolyzable imide units that can serve as adsorption sites for the anchorage of metallic nanoparticles, particularly eye-catching for multifunctionality. In this study, Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) sizing 5 to 20 nm are evenly attached on the surface of spherical PI-COFs through alkaline hydrolysis, ion exchange, and reduction reactions. The Ag-decorated COF (COF@Ag) are doped into the titania photoelectrode of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) to explore its multifunctionality for the photovoltaic performance. The DSSC with the doping of COF@Ag exhibits a power conversion efficiency of 8.03 % under simulated one sun illumination, outperforming that without the doping of COF@Ag (6.86 %) by an enhancement in the photocurrent from 15.14 mA cm−2 to 17.31 mA cm−2. Comprehensive analyses including dye loading, electrochemical impedance, electron kinetics, and light absorption confirms the multifunctionality of COF@Ag. Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of Ag NPs enhances the photocurrent, and host–guest interaction of COFs facilitates the charge injection and suppresses the charge recombination.
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