<scp>Catechol‐Formaldehyde</scp> Resin Coated <scp>CdS Core‐Shell</scp> Composite as Robust Photocatalyst for <scp>Long‐Term</scp> Sustainable Artificial Photosynthesis of <scp>H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub></scp>
Yuexin Xiang, Zhinan Xia, Wanchao Hu, Cuiyan Tong, Yang Xiao, Changli Lü
Abstract
Comprehensive Summary Catechol‐formaldehyde resin (CFR) is very attractive for H 2 O 2 production via the catalytic process. However, the H 2 O 2 formation is accompanied by the oxidation of catechol groups to o ‐benzoquinone groups on CFR, which will cause irreversible damage to CFR and greatly limit its long‐term stable catalytic activity. Herein, CdS/CFR composite photocatalyst with a core‐shell structure was synthesized by hydrothermal method. The photogenerated electrons of CdS are used as a powerful driving force for the reversible redox conversion between catechol groups and o ‐benzoquinone groups on the CFR, which not only achieves the long‐term stability of CFR‐catalyzed production of H 2 O 2 , but also promotes the separation efficiency of photogenerated e – and h + in CdS, greatly inhibiting their recombination, so as to maintain CdS stability. The H 2 O 2 yield of CdS/CFR can accumulate to 1.65 mmol·L –1 under visible light for 6 h without sacrificial agent, which is about 3.1 and 2 times that of CdS and CFR, respectively, and CdS/CFR can persist for 10 cycles of photocatalysis (60 h). CdS/CFR also improves the yield of photocatalytic H 2 O 2 by increasing the selectivity of H 2 O 2 and inhibiting its decomposition. This work offers a novel tactic for expanding the application of CFR in photocatalytic generation of H 2 O 2 .