Visible-light-driven green hydrogen and hydrogen peroxide production using a 2D porous organic polymer engineered with 2D SnS2

Abstract

The transformation of solar radiation into chemical energy or valuable chemical compounds has garnered significant research interest, particularly in light of the global energy crisis. Hydrogen and hydrogen peroxide serve as sustainable energy sources in fuel cells, producing electricity with zero carbon emissions. Recently, the eco-friendly synthesis of H₂ and H₂O₂ from water and oxygen using porous organic polymers (POPs) as photocatalysts has drawn considerable attention. However, their applications have been limited due to low absorption of visible light and the rapid recombination of photoinduced charge carriers, while noble metal co-catalysts remain essential in all POP-based photocatalysts to achieve high rates of hydrogen evolution and hydrogen peroxide production, as well as to enhance charge separation in semiconductor photocatalysts. In this study, we demonstrate a more effective heterojunction photocatalyst—2D–2D SnS₂@TAPA-BPDA—which has a significant effect on photocatalytic H₂ evolution and H₂O₂ production. When exposed to visible light, the SnS₂@TAPA-BPDA composite achieves a hydrogen evolution rate of 1818.8 μmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹, which is approximately 30 times higher than that of the bare TAPA-BPDA POP. Similarly, for hydrogen peroxide production, the same catalyst reaches 3013.3 μmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹, nearly 14 times greater than the bare catalyst. These results highlight the significant enhancement in photocatalytic H₂ evolution and H₂O₂ generation, leading to highly effective solar-to-chemical energy conversion.