The excellent photocatalytic overall water splitting activity of TpPa-1-COF excited via MOF derived FeP-PC and a-Fe2O3 dual cocatalysts

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) as an emerging porous material have exhibited excellent application prospects in the field of photocatalysis. Nevertheless, the overall water splitting using solar energy by COF-based photocatalysts remains a huge challenge due to the rapid charge recombination and insufficient redox catalytic capacity. Herein, for the first time, the novel Fe-MOF-derived alpha-Fe2O3 and FeP-PC was designed and adopted as dual co-catalysts to facilitate the separation and utilization efficiency of charge carriers and activate the overall water splitting performance of the ketoenamine based TpPa-1-COF, with both the porous alpha-Fe2O3 and FeP-PC acting as the framework supporting to effectively prevent the agglomeration of TpPa-1-COF during the fabri-cation and photocatalytic process. Meanwhile, the construction of Z-scheme heterostructures and the connection of covalent bonds in the interface of alpha-Fe2O3 /TpPa-1-COF/FeP-PC effectively facilitate the separation and transport of charge. Consequently, the optimal alpha-Fe2O3 /TpPa-1-COF/FeP-PC excites very competitive photo-catalytic overall water splitting performance.

Automated summary

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) show great potential in the field of photocatalysis. However, the rapid charge recombination and insufficient redox catalytic capacity hinder the overall water splitting performance of COF-based photocatalysts. In this study, a novel Fe-MOF-derived dual co-catalyst was designed to enhance charge carrier separation and utilization, resulting in improved water splitting performance. The construction of Z-scheme heterostructures facilitated charge separation and transport.