Photocatalytic activity of ultrathin 2DPNs for enzymatically generating formic acid from CO2 and C–S/C–N bond formation

Abstract

The exploration of efficient and cheap photocatalysts for the transformation of CO₂ into value-added chemicals is a cornerstone challenge in organic chemistry. Two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (2D-COFs) have attracted a great deal of increasing demand in the field of photocatalysis. Here, we report the design and development of two-dimensional porphyrin nanoplates (2DPNs) as low-cost and highly efficient photocatalysts. The construction of 2DPNs was achieved by the reaction of 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) building block units via a one-pot Friedel–Crafts reaction. The study revealed that the resultant photocatalyst has many useful properties of a better catalyst such as the superb solar light-harvesting ability, suitability of the optical band-gap, and highly ordered π-electron channels facilitating efficient charge migrations. Further study provides the better utility of 2DPN photocatalysts in the generation of solar fine chemicals via the formation of C–S and C–N bonds under solar light irradiation with excellent reusability property. Furthermore, the 2DPN photocatalysts have been efficiently used as catalysts in the CO₂ fixation and generation of formic acid as a green energy source under metal-free conditions.