Partitioning of pore space in hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks for enhanced CO2 photoreduction

Hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) hold significant promise for catalytic applications. However, the collapse of pores upon solvent removal significantly restricts the utility of HOFs in photocatalytic processes for energy production and storage. This work describes HOF-based catalysis with a stable pore structure and efficient catalytic activity that has been designed and tested for CO2 photo-reduction in pure water. In this system, based on HOFs, the 1,3,6,8-tetra(4-carboxyphenyl)pyrene (H(4)TBAPy) molecules segment the large pore spaces into multiple domains. These molecules, anchored to the HOF via strong CH & ctdot;pi interactions, act as rigid auxiliary linkers, notably improving the structural stability within the HOF. Additionally, the incorporation of electron-rich H(4)TBAPy molecules expedited electron transport within the HOF, markedly enhancing its catalytic activity. This work provides a new strategy for designing stable and high-performance HOF photocatalysts.