Asymmetry‐Engineered g‐C <sub>3</sub> N <sub>4</sub> Nanosheets with Dual Electronic‐Adsorption Modulation for High‐Efficiency Solar‐Driven H <sub>2</sub> O <sub>2</sub> Synthesis
Abstract Solar‐driven hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) synthesis via oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) offers a sustainable alternative to the energy‐intensive anthraquinone process, but suffers from sluggish kinetics and poor two‐electron selectivity. Herein, asymmetric boron/fluorine/cyano triply functionalized g‐C 3 N 4 nanosheets (g‐C 3 N 4 ‐B10) are engineered to simultaneously modulate the electronic structure and O 2 adsorption behavior. The structural asymmetry narrows the bandgap and activates n‐π* transitions, enhancing visible light harvesting and suppressing charge recombination. Adsorption engineering selectively shifts molecular oxygen activation from the Pauling‐type (end‐on) to Yeager‐type (side‐on) chemisorption, steering ORR toward a thermodynamically favorable one‐step two‐electron pathway. These synergistic effects enable g‐C 3 N 4 ‐B10 to achieve an H 2 O 2 production rate of 2952 µmol g −1 h −1 under visible light (100 mW cm −2 ) in pure water, representing a 14.3 fold enhancement over pristine g‐C 3 N 4 and outperforming other reported g‐C 3 N 4 ‐based catalysts. This work provides a molecular‐level design strategy for high‐efficiency solar H 2 O 2 production via asymmetric active‐site engineering.
Authors
- Su‐Xian Yuan
- Zhaolei Liu
- Jian Zhou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0531-8918)
- Meng‐Ran Zhang
- Min Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0275-9497)
- Xingqiang Lü (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2698-2770)
Institutions
- Tianjin University of Technology (CN)
- Sun Yat-sen University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Functional Materials
- Published
- 2025-10-24
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202523126
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Natural Science Foundation of Tianjin City