Solar-driven simultaneous tetracycline degradation and hydrogen peroxide production via concave hollow double-layer polymers

Background Tetracycline accumulation in nature poses environmental and health risks. This study develops concave hollow double-layer polymers (CHDPs) via modified self-assembly for solar-driven tetracycline degradation and simultaneously produces hydrogen peroxide. Methods CHDPs, synthesized from 3-aminophenol and formaldehyde, contain benzoquinone donor-acceptor moieties. This structure enables photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide generation from water and oxygen, as well as the photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline. Significant findings CHDP’s polymer has a narrow bandgap, and a concave architecture that enhances light harvesting/charge transfer, which achieves -1390.5 % tetracycline conversion at 447 nm/12 W/pH 10/1 mg l -1 via acidic intermediate generation, and simultaneous H 2 O 2 production was 110.3 mg g -1 , and the ability to inhibit the self-decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. The operational stability was >80 % efficiency retention after 4 cycles. CHDPs enable cost-effective pollutant degradation while overcoming infrared-dependent limitations of conventional photocatalysts.