Additive-free photocatalytic dehydrogenation of neat formic acid by A COF-Cu heterostructure

Selective and efficient dehydrogenation of neat formic acid (FA) under controlled conditions, eg. light, is important yet scarce. Herein, an organic-metal heterostructurre of COF-Cu was constructed by incorporation of Cu 2+ with a covalent organic framework AQ-COF. COF-Cu showed a remarkable photocatalytic FA dehydrogenation activity, without any solvent or base additive. The optimal H 2 evolution rate reached 190 mmol·g −1 ·h −1 , surpassing most of the state-of-the-art catalyst. The significant performance enhancement of COF-Cu can be attributed to the effective charge transfer process occurring between AQ-COF and Cu 2+ . This study provides valuable insights for the design of efficient catalysts, crucial for advancing sustainable energy storage technologies.