InSitu Prepared Flexible 3D Polymer Film Photocatalyst for Highly Selective Solar Fuel Production from CO2

The conversion of CO2 to valuable solar fuels by means of solar energy using metal-free flexible film photocatalysts is an appealing strategy. Here we demonstrate a three dimensional aromatic polymer (3DAP) derived from triptycene (TC) as a metal free, stable and highly efficient visible light responsive flexible film photocatalyst for selective solar fuel production from CO2. For this research work, the polymerization of TC by the Diels-Alder reaction is exploited for the first time as a new synthetic approach for the construction of three dimensional aromatic polymer photocatalyst. The visible-light harvesting ability, band gap suitability, high Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area and electron transfer capability via interconnecting 3D chain of 3DAP contribute to the excellent performance of the film photocatalyst as evident from 91.09% NADH regeneration and 225.12mol of formic acid production. This work provides important insights into the design of flexible polymer film photocatalyst for selective solar fuel formation from CO2 and is expected to trigger further interest in sustainable solar energy conversion applications such as tailorable and wearable devices.