Acta Phys. -Chim. Sin. ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (12): 100168.doi: 10.1016/j.actphy.2025.100168

• ARTICLE • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Preparation of donor-π-acceptor type graphitic carbon nitride photocatalytic systems via molecular level regulation for high-efficient H2O2 production

Jiayao Wang1, Guixu Pan1, Ning Wang1,*(), Shihan Wang1, Yaolin Zhu2,*(), Yunfeng Li1,*()   

  1. 1 College of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Functional Textile Material and Product of the Ministry of Education, Xi'an Polytechnic University, Xi'an 710048, Shannxi Province, China
    2 School of Electronics and Information, Xi'an Polytechnic University, Xi'an 710048, Shannxi Province, China
  • Received:2025-07-19 Revised:2025-08-17 Accepted:2025-08-18 Published:2025-10-23
  • Contact: Email: liyf377@nenu.edu.cn (Yunfeng Li)20070802@xpu.edu.cn (Yaolin Zhu)ninaw2018@163.com (Ning Wang)
  • Supported by:
    the National Natural Science Foundation of China(22008185); the National Natural Science Foundation of China(21872023); the Shaanxi Provincial Key Research and Development Program(2022GY-166); the Shaanxi Provincial Key Research and Development Program(2024SF-YBXM-593); the Shaanxi Provincial Department of Education Youth Innovation Team Research Plan Project(24JP072); Scientific Research Program Funded by Shaanxi Provincial Education Department(23JC033); the Xi'an Science and Technology Planning Project(24GXFW0021)

Abstract:

Donor-π-Acceptor (D-π-A) conjugated polymers represent an emerging class of materials featuring alternating electron donor (D), π-bridge (π), and electron acceptor (A) units, which exhibit significant potential in enhancing visible-light absorption and optimizing charge separation and redistribution. To overcome the limitations of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) while capitalizing on the structural merits of D-π-A systems, a series of 4-aromatic amine derivatives modified g-C3N4 photocatalysts was designed and synthesized through precise molecular level regulation with tailored local electron delocalization. This strategy allows for a systematic investigation of the relationship between electron delocalization extent and photocatalytic H2O2 production. Furthermore, the electron-withdrawing induction effect for regulating electron delocalization results in a substantial enhancement of photoinduced electron transfer to surface reactive sites. The as-synthesized optimum photocatalyst exhibits a remarkable H2O2 production performance, which is 30.44 times higher than that of the pristine g-C3N4. The mechanism study reveals that the photocatalytic H2O2 production in D-π-A-type g-C3N4 proceeds primarily via a two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).

Key words: Photocatalysis, g-C3N4, D-π-A structure, Supramolecular self-assembly, H2O2 production.