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Photo-to-chemical energy conversion requires a systematic and complex molecular design to manage consecutive photochemical processes, including energy harvesting, exciton migration, electron transfer, charge separation, and charge transport. However, such an integrated design remains a substantial challenge. Here, we report a seamless system in managing these photochemical events on the basis of two-dimensional sp2 carbon-conjugated covalent organic frameworks. The frameworks are designed to be fully π conjugated for harvesting a wide range of visible to near-infrared light and to constitute built-in donor-acceptor heterojunction interfaces for splitting excitons. The frameworks create dense yet ordered columnar π arrays that offer pathways to facilitate exciton migration and charge transport. Loading reaction centers in pores or on surface shortens the electron-transfer distance and promotes the accumulation of electrons at the reaction centers. These three molecular mechanisms are seamlessly integrated in the frameworks and render the system able to efficiently produce hydrogen that is driven by low-energy photons. Water is a sustainable energy resource on this planet. Using another sustainable energy resource, i.e., sunlight to decompose water into hydrogen, a fuel that is green to our environment and society, is attracting great scientific interest and public concern. However, this conversion never happens spontaneously, and it requires a complex system that allows a flow of electrons from light into water. To realize this function, this work creates a purely organic yet robust material in which carbon-based building blocks are connected with a specific bond in a topologically pre-designable ordered manner. This unique structure not only collects sunlight efficiently but also injects electrons to water through a built-in interface, enabling an immediate yet continuous stable hydrogen production from water upon irradiation. We anticipate that this work will offer the structural and mechanistic base for scalable and sustainable fuel production from water and sunlight. This work demonstrates a platform for designing a photocatalyst to promote light-driven production of hydrogen from water. The newly developed photocatalyst consists of all sp2 carbon frameworks that are fully π conjugated to promote exciton migration and offer a narrow band gap to harvest visible and near-infrared light. Engineering the lattice periphery with electron-deficient units tunes the band structure and constitutes built-in interfaces to generate electrons. The resulting frameworks enable efficient, continuous, and stable hydrogen production under irradiation. © 2019 Elsevier Inc.
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Chem
ISSN: 2451-9308
Year: 2019
Issue: 6
Volume: 5
Page: 1632-1647
1 9 . 7 3 5
JCR@2019
1 9 . 1 0 0
JCR@2023
ESI HC Threshold:184
JCR Journal Grade:1
CAS Journal Grade:1
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SCOPUS Cited Count:
ESI Highly Cited Papers on the List: 0 Unfold All
WanFang Cited Count:
Chinese Cited Count:
30 Days PV: 1
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