Visible-Light-Active Conjugated Polymer Nanosheets for Superior Photocatalysis

Visible light-responsive photocatalysts enable enhanced solar energy utilization efficiency, offering a desirable way to address contemporary energy and environmental challenges. Emerging as a category of photoactive materials, conductive polymers [such as poly(diacetylenes) series] have demonstrated remarkable photocatalytic performance under visible light irradiation. However, the irregular morphology of conductive polymers forms more defect centers, which leads to a limitation of photocatalytic application. In this study, we successfully synthesized intrinsic two-dimensional (2D) poly(triacetylene benzene) (PTEB) nanosheets by an efficient template-free solvothermal method. The conjugated PTEB nanostructures possess an optimized narrow band gap energy (1.235 eV), demonstrating broad-spectrum absorption capabilities throughout both visible and near-infrared wavelengths. The 2D ultrathin structures of PTEB shorten the transport pathway of photoexcited charge carriers and facilitate their direct photocatalytic interaction on the surface. Benefiting from the 2D structures and narrow band gap, the as-synthesized PTEB exhibits superior photocatalytic performance compared to the P25 TiO 2 catalyst under ultraviolet and visible irradiation. It is proved that the degradation mechanism is mainly due to the action of reactive O 2 •– oxygen species. The visible-light-responsive characteristics exhibited by these organic semiconductors demonstrate significant potential for solar energy conversion and broader fields.