Constructing Dual-Functional Organic Cuboctahedron Cages with Two Different Triangular Building Units for Efficient Artificial Photosynthesis of Hydrogen Peroxide from Water and Oxygen

Artificial photosynthesis of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) from water and oxygen is a green method, which requires catalysts that can complete oxygen reduction and water oxidation reactions simultaneously. Herein, two cases of organic cage single crystals with an exquisite Archimedean polyhedron configuration (named CityU-40 and CityU-41) through the assembly of two different triangle motifs via dative boron ← nitrogen (B ← N) bonds are reported. Both cages possess big cavities (1.5 nm) and large open windows (1 nm * 1.2 nm). Due to the integration of two photosensitive functional motifs into one cage with a short distance, both CityU-40 and CityU-41 have been demonstrated as efficient catalysts for the artificial photosynthesis of H2O2 from pure water and oxygen/air under ambient sunlight.