Dual‐Channel Charge Transfer in Olefin‐Linked Covalent Organic Frameworks for Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution from Seawater
Abstract Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) represent promising candidates for solar‐driven hydrogen (H 2 ) production via water splitting, yet the performance remains constrained by intrinsically inefficient charge transfer dynamics. Herein, a rationally engineered 2D olefin‐linked COFs is presented, featuring dual‐channel charge transfer (i.e., in‐plane and interlayer) pathways for efficient photocatalytic H 2 evolution from seawater. Through systematic modulation of π ‐electron density distribution in electron donor–acceptor units, the optimized fully π ‐conjugated TTh‐Ph‐COF exhibits exceptional charge separation and transfer kinetics. Comprehensive density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that the in‐plane charge transfer is accelerated by sp 2 C═C linked bridges with a large dipole moment (8.71 Debye), while vertically aligned π – π stacking interactions facilitate interlayer charge migration. This synergistic dual‐channel electronic transport architecture enables TTh‐Ph‐COF to achieve a remarkable H 2 ‐evolution rate of 28.38 mmol h −1 g −1 in seawater and 55.36 mmol h −1 g −1 in deionized water, along with 20.31% apparent quantum efficiency at 420 nm irradiation. This research presents a novel design strategy aimed at enhancing light conversion efficiency within the molecular engineering framework through multi‐channel charge transfer systems.
Authors
- Jundie Hu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3724-2276)
- Yahui Cai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6383-2096)
- Xiaogang Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4419-1334)
- Hong Bin Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7834-4706)
- Jiafu Qu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3098-8630)
- Shuzhi Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4499-6722)
- Qiang Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0722-6005)
- Jiali Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2964-0127)
- Chang Ming Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4041-2574)
Institutions
- National University of Singapore (SG)
- Nanjing Forestry University (CN)
- Yonsei University (KR)
- Suzhou University of Science and Technology (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Functional Materials
- Published
- 2025-12-09
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202530802
- Primary Topic
- Covalent Organic Framework Applications
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00