Polymer photocatalysts for photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide production

Abstract

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), as a mild oxidant and promising liquid fuel, has widespread application potential in energy and environment fields. Compared with the traditional oxidation of anthraquinone, solar-driven H₂O₂ production has attracted considerable attention due to its advantages of safety, greenness, and energy conservation. Thanks to structures that are tunable at the molecular level, polymer semiconductors stand out among numerous photocatalysts. In recent years, the solar-to-chemical conversion efficiency of polymer semiconductors has been gradually improved with the constant emergence of new modification strategies. From the perspective of the O₂ reduction reaction pathway and the H₂O oxidation reaction pathway for H₂O₂ production, a systematic summary of modification strategies for different polymer semiconductors (graphitic carbon nitride, covalent organic frameworks, covalent triazine frameworks, conjugated microporous polymers, linear conjugated polymers, and resorcinol-formaldehyde resins) can provide valuable guidance for the rational design of polymer photocatalysts. In this review, the fundamental principles of the artificial photosynthesis of H₂O₂ and the detection methods for photogenerated H₂O₂ are briefly introduced. Subsequently, we summarize the strategies for improving the H₂O₂ production efficiency of different polymer semiconductors via different pathways, and highlight their effects on carrier separation and transfer. Finally, the challenges and prospects of polymer semiconductors for the photosynthesis of H₂O₂ are presented.