Photocatalytic production of H2O2 from water and dioxygen only under visible light using organic polymers: Systematic study of the effects of heteroatoms

The photocatalytic production of H 2 O 2 that needs dioxygen, water, and light only has been proposed and investigated. However, most of the studies employed organic electron donors. In this work, organic photocatalysts that can produce H 2 O 2 without organic electron donors are designed with a bottom-up approach. Although the heptazine-based g-C 3 N 4 cannot induce water oxidation, a different kind of organic polymer (CN) obtained from the condensation of s-triazine and pyrimidine can produce H 2 O 2 via dioxygen reduction coupled with water oxidation. The incorporation of O and P elements in CN structure (CNO, CNP, CNOP) increases the visible light absorption and hinders the photodecomposition of H 2 O 2 , respectively. The C-O and P-O bonds act as the charge trapping sites and also the preferred adsorption sites of a key intermediate, •OOH. As a result, the CNOP exhibits the highest production of H 2 O 2 using dioxygen, water, and visible light only. • s-triazine based polymers and the derivatives incorporated with O and/or P are synthesized. • The organic polymers produce H 2 O 2 without needing any organic electron donors. • The incorporation of O and/or P enhances the visible light absorption and hinders the photodecomposition of H 2 O 2 . • The C–O and P–O bonds in CNOP serve as both the charge trapping sites and the adsorption sites of •OOH.