Hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks for photocatalytic synthesis of hydrogen peroxide

Photocatalysis provides a sustainable and environment-friendly strategy to produce H 2 O 2 , yet the catalytic efficiency of H 2 O 2 overall photosynthesis (O 2  + 2H 2 O → 2H 2 O 2 ) needs to be further improved, especially in the absence of additional cocatalysts, photosensitizers and sacrificial agents. Here we find that hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks can serve as photocatalysts for H 2 O 2 overall photosynthesis under the above-mentioned conditions. Specifically, we constructed a donor–acceptor hydrogen-bonded organic framework that exhibits a high photocatalytic activity for H 2 O 2 overall photosynthesis, with a production rate of 681.2 μmol g -1 h -1 . The control experiments and theoretical calculation revealed that the hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks with donor–acceptor structures can not only accelerate the charge separation and transfer but also optimize the reaction pathways, which significantly boosts the photocatalytic efficiency in H 2 O 2 overall photosynthesis. This work provides insights into the design and development of efficient photocatalysts for overall H 2 O 2 photosynthesis.