Donor-acceptor 2D polymer for simultaneous photocatalytic CO2 reduction and carbonylation reaction

The conversion of CO2 into compounds with greater added value is the focus of current research. Herein, we employ a straightforward solvothermal approach to create the two-dimensional polymer with a donor–acceptor (D-A) structure (MAN-PCT). Strong D-A interaction, a characteristic of MAN-PCT, contributes to ultrafast photoinduced charge separation. Notably, the P = N bond on the D unit acts as a reaction site and considerably reduces the distance traveled by photogenerated carriers as they migrate to the reactants. It also improves the adsorption of the produced CO, allowing it to continue to react with the benzyl alcohol intermediate. As a result, MAN-PCT showed not only excellent photocatalytic activity of CO2 to CO (3036 μmol g−1), but also a maximum yield of about 90% of the poly-substituted benzyl formate product under visible light illumination. MAN-PCT also exhibited excellent cycling stability (7 times, 12 h per cycle). This research offers a fresh method for creating polymeric photocatalysts that can transform CO2 into fine compounds with a high added value.