Enhanced exciton dissociation through scandium-decorated conjugated polymers for artificial photosynthesis of hydrogen peroxide

Solar-driven hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) production offers a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to the traditional anthraquinone oxidation method. Conjugated polymers (CPs) are emerging as promising photocatalysts for H 2 O 2 production due to their unique electronic, optical properties, and tunable structures. However, the high exciton binding energy of CPs hinders efficient exciton dissociation and charge separation, limiting their photocatalytic performance. In this work, we synthesized scandium (Sc) atoms decorated CPs with enhanced ordered stacking and crystallinity by introducing benzaldehyde as an end-capping reagent. The strong interaction between charged Sc atoms and electrons facilitates exciton dissociation and improves charge transfer capability. Furthermore, the Lewis acidic nature of Sc atoms promotes oxygen adsorption and enhances the stabilization of superoxide anion intermediate ( ∙ O 2 − ). As a result, the as-synthesized photocatalysts exhibit a high H 2 O 2 production rate of 18 μmol h −1 in pure water, which is three times that of pristine CPs. This work provides valuable insights into the design of organic polymer photocatalysts for various photocatalytic reactions.