Boosting Built‐in Electric Field via COF Molecular Quadrupole Gradients for Efficient H 2 O 2 Photosynthesis

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Authors: Rongchen Shen, Bin Qi, Kaihui Huang, Mingyang Xu, Lei Hao, Guijie Liang, Peng Zhang, Can Huang, Xin Li
Cited by: 8
References: 41

Abstract

ABSTRACT Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are promising photocatalysts for hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) generation using only water, air, and light. The intrinsic polarization, typically evaluated by the dipole moment of the photocatalyst, can induce a built‐in electric field to promote exciton dissociation and carrier migration. However, the dipole moment is negligible in a symmetric and periodic COF structure, which hinders the regulation of the built‐in electric field and efficient photocatalysis. In this work, we modulate the quadrupole moment by molecular engineering at specific COF sites to enhance the local electric field, achieving a remarkable H 2 O 2 photosynthesis rate of 8.32 mmol g −1 h −1 in pure water without any sacrificial agent. The local electric field and carrier dynamics studies unveil that the quadrupole moment gradient tunes the intrinsic carrier decay, fluorescence reabsorption, and exciton binding energy to optimize carrier utilization efficiency. Moreover, the stronger quadrupole moment can stabilize the adsorbed · OOH intermediate through polarization and electron redistribution. This work provides a molecular engineering strategy for local electric field manipulation and reveals fundamental relationships between the quadrupole moment and photocatalytic processes in non‐polar COF photocatalysts.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Covalent Organic Framework Applications Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques Advanced oxidation water treatment

Publication details

Journal / source
Angewandte Chemie International Edition
Publisher
Wiley
Volume
65
Issue
23
Pages
e4717774–e4717774
Publication date
20 April 2026
Language
EN