Biomimetic Phthalocyanine-Based Covalent Organic Frameworks with Tunable Pendant Groups for Electrocatalytic CO₂...

Electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO₂RR) is an effective way of converting CO₂ into value-added products using renewable energy, whose activity and selectivity can be in principle maneuvered by tuning the microenvironment near catalytic sites. Here, we demonstrate a strategy for tuning the microenvironment of CO₂RR by learning from the natural chlorophyll and heme. Specifically, the conductive covalent organic frameworks (COFs) linked by piperazine serve as versatile supports for single-atom catalysts (SACs), and the pendant groups modified on the COFs can be readily tailored to offer different push-pull electronic effects for tunable microenvironment. As a result, while all the COFs exhibit high chemical structure stability under harsh conditions and good conductivity, the addition of -CH₂NH₂ can greatly enhance the activity and selectivity of CO₂RR. As proven by experimental characterization and theoretical simulation, the electron-donating group (-CH₂NH₂) not only reduces the surface work function of COF, but also improves the adsorption energy of the key intermediate *COOH, compared with the COFs with electron-withdrawing groups (-CN, -COOH) near the active sites. This work provides insights into the microenvironment modulation of CO₂RR electrocatalysts at the molecular level.