Catechol‐Formaldehyde Resin Coated CdS Core‐Shell Composite as Robust Photocatalyst for Long‐Term Sustainable Artificial Photosynthesis of H2O2

Abstract

Comprehensive SummaryCatechol‐formaldehyde resin (CFR) is very attractive for H2O2 production via the catalytic process. However, the H2O2 formation is accompanied by the oxidation of catechol groups to o‐benzoquinone groups on CFR, which will cause irreversible damage to CFR and greatly limit its long‐term stable catalytic activity. Herein, CdS/CFR composite photocatalyst with a core‐shell structure was synthesized by hydrothermal method. The photogenerated electrons of CdS are used as a powerful driving force for the reversible redox conversion between catechol groups and o‐benzoquinone groups on the CFR, which not only achieves the long‐term stability of CFR‐catalyzed production of H2O2, but also promotes the separation efficiency of photogenerated e– and h+ in CdS, greatly inhibiting their recombination, so as to maintain CdS stability. The H2O2 yield of CdS/CFR can accumulate to 1.65 mmol·L–1 under visible light for 6 h without sacrificial agent, which is about 3.1 and 2 times that of CdS and CFR, respectively, and CdS/CFR can persist for 10 cycles of photocatalysis (60 h). CdS/CFR also improves the yield of photocatalytic H2O2 by increasing the selectivity of H2O2 and inhibiting its decomposition. This work offers a novel tactic for expanding the application of CFR in photocatalytic generation of H2O2.