Photocatalytic polymers of intrinsic microporosity for hydrogen production from water

Abstract

The most common strategy for introducing porosity into organic polymer photocatalysts has been the synthesis of cross-linked conjugated networks or frameworks. Here, we study the photocatalytic performance of a series of linear conjugated polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) as photocatalysts for hydrogen production from water in the presence of a hole scavenger. The best performing materials are porous and wettable, which allows for the penetration of water into the material. One of these polymers of intrinsic microporosity, P38, showed the highest sacrificial hydrogen evolution rate of 5226 μmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹ under visible irradiation (λ > 420 nm), with an external quantum efficiency of 18.1% at 420 nm, placing it among the highest performing polymer photocatalysts reported to date for this reaction.