Covalent Organic Frameworks for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Peroxide Generation

Abstract

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), a valuable chemical, is widely used as a powerful oxidizing agent in chemical synthesis, pharmaceuticals, medical disinfection, and environmental treatment industries. Currently, over 95% of H2O2 is produced industrially using the anthraquinone process, which is associated with its high energy consumption and hazardous byproducts. Therefore, the photochemical synthesis of H2O2 from water and oxygen using covalent organic framework based photocatalysts have attracted considerable attention. This review aims to outline recent achievements, challenges and future prospects of COFs as heterogeneous photocatalysts for sustainable H2O2 generation. We summarize the chronological development of COFs, different mechanisms involved, and detailed experiments and quantification methods of photocatalytic H2O2 generation. The review puts forward an outlook, highlighting the advantages and limitations of COFs for H2O2 generation. We anticipate that this review will provide insight into current progress and inspire the development of next-generation photocatalysts for sustainable H2O2 production.