Photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) synthesis from water and O2 is an economical, eco-friendly, and sustainable route for H2 O2 production. However, single-component photocatalysts are subjected to limited light-harvesting range, fast carrier recombination, and weak redox power. To promote photogenerated carrier separation and enhance redox abilities, an organic/inorganic S-scheme photocatalyst is fabricated by in situ growing In2 S3 nanosheets on a covalent organic framwork (COF) substrate for efficient H2 O2 production in pure water. Interestingly, compared to unitary COF and In2 S3 , the COF/In2 S3 S-scheme photocatalysts exhibit significantly larger light-harvesting range and stronger visible-light absorption. Partial density of state calculation, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy reveal that the coordination between In2 S3 and COF induces the formation of mid-gap hybrid energy levels, leading to smaller energy gaps and broadened absorption. Combining electron spin resonance spectroscopy, radical-trapping experiments, and isotope labeling experiments, three pathways for H2 O2 formation are identified. Benefited from expanded light-absorption range, enhanced carrier separation, strong redox power, and multichannel H2 O2 formation, the optimal composite shows an impressive H2 O2 -production rate of 5713.2 µmol g-1 h-1 in pure water. This work exemplifies an effective strategy to ameliorate COF-based photocatalysts by building S-scheme heterojunctions and provides molecular-level insights into their impact on energy level modulation.
Keywords: COF; H2O2; S-scheme heterojunction; hybrid energy levels; photocatalysis.
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