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Covalent Organic Framework Nanoplates Enable Solution-Processed Crystalline Nanofilms for Photoelectrochemical
Liang Yao1, Andrés Rodríguez-Camargo1,2, Meng Xia3
1Nanochemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Heisenbergstraße 1, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|June 3, 2022
Summary
Researchers developed stable, colloidal covalent organic framework (COF) nanoplates for solar hydrogen production. These COF films enable efficient solar-to-hydrogen conversion, overcoming previous limitations in optoelectronic applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Renewable Energy
Background:
- Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) show promise for optoelectronics but face challenges in creating large-scale, homogeneous films.
- Developing effective methods for crystalline COF films is crucial for their application in devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize colloidal COF nanoplates and utilize them as photocathodes for efficient solar hydrogen evolution.
- To overcome limitations in COF film fabrication for optoelectronic applications.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of colloidal COF nanoplates with controlled size and high stability.
- Fabrication of COF nanofilms via spin coating for photoelectrochemical (PEC) devices.
- Design of multicomponent photoelectrode architectures with polymer donor/COF heterojunctions and hole-transport layers.
Main Results:
- Achieved stable colloidal COF nanoplates with unimodal size distribution and exceptional colloidal stability for 10 months.
- Produced smooth, homogeneous, and thickness-tunable COF nanofilms via spin coating.
- Demonstrated significantly increased photocurrent density and a highly positive onset potential (+1 V vs RHE) for PEC hydrogen evolution by mitigating charge recombination.
Conclusions:
- Solution-processed, large-scale COF nanofilms and heterojunction architectures are feasible.
- This approach paves the way for advanced solar-energy-conversion devices using COFs.
