Photochromic radical states in 3D covalent organic frameworks with zyg topology for enhanced photocatalysis

Abstract

ABSTRACT Covalent-organic frameworks (COFs) with photoinduced donor-acceptor (D-A) radical pairs show enhanced photocatalytic activity in principle. However, achieving long-lived charge separation in COFs proves challenging due to the rapid charge recombination. Here, we develop a novel strategy by combining [6 + 4] nodes to construct zyg-type 3D COFs, first reported in COF chemistry. This structure type exhibits a fused Olympic-rings-like shape, which provides a platform for stabilizing the photoinduced D-A radical pairs. The zyg-type COFs containing catalytically active moieties such as triphenylamine and phenothiazine (PTZ) show superior photocatalytic production rates of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Significantly, the photochromic radical states of these COFs show up to 400% enhancement in photocatalytic activity compared to the parent states, achieving a remarkable H2O2 synthesis rate of 3324 μmol g−1 h−1, which makes the PTZ-COF one of the best crystalline porous photocatalysts in H2O2 production. This work will shed light on the synthesis of efficient 3D COF photocatalysts built on topologies that can facilitate photogenerating D-A radical pairs for enhanced photocatalysis.