Phenolic resin/cadmium selenide heterojunctions for efficient hydrogen peroxide production with broad-spectrum light utilization

The efficient and sustainable production of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) via solar-driven photocatalysis is hindered by poor charge separation and limited light absorption. To address these challenges, we present a novel S-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst composed of cadmium selenide (CdSe) nanoparticles and phenolic resin (RF523). The integration of RF523 with CdSe promotes efficient charge separation by generating a built-in electric field, reducing electron-hole recombination. This design enhances both the oxidation and reduction capabilities of the materials and expands spectral absorption to the near-infrared region (800 nm), which is underutilized in conventional systems. The RF/CdSe-100 composite demonstrated a remarkable H₂O₂ production rate of 888.9 μmol·h⁻¹ under full-spectrum light, outperforming mechanically mixed samples by a factor of 2.0. Additionally, the composite exhibited broad-spectrum light absorption, with an apparent quantum yield of 19.0% under 365 nm light and 1.7% under 800 nm light, highlighting its ability to efficiently utilize a wide range of solar energy. The photocatalytic mechanism is driven by the S-scheme charge transfer process, enhancing redox efficiency and promoting the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) for H₂O₂ production. This work offers an efficient strategy for solar-driven H₂O₂ synthesis, advancing the design of photocatalysts for renewable energy and environmental applications. This work introduces a novel S-scheme heterojunction between cadmium selenide and phenolic resin, enabling efficient charge separation, enhanced redox efficiency, and broad-spectrum light utilization, including near-infrared light, for solar-driven hydrogen peroxide production. • We developed a novel S-scheme heterojunction between phenolic resin (RF523) and cadmium selenide (CdSe) that generates a built-in electric field, thereby enhancing charge separation and effectively reducing electron-hole recombination. • Our integrated system synergistically enhances the redox capabilities of both components, preserving their optimal oxidation and reduction properties to achieve significantly improved photocatalytic efficiency for H₂O₂ production. • The composite exhibits extended solar spectrum utilization by efficiently absorbing light from the ultraviolet to near-infrared regions (up to 800 nm), enabling more effective use of solar energy compared to conventional photocatalysts.