Local weak hydrogen bonds induced dipole-dipole interactions in polymer for enhancing photocatalytic oxidation

Hongyan Liu; Yi Wang; Xiao Xue; Yuhui Liu; Peng Chen; Peng Wang; Shuang-Feng Yin

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2024.04.221

Local weak hydrogen bonds induced dipole-dipole interactions in polymer for enhancing photocatalytic oxidation

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2024 Sep:669:393-401. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.04.221. Epub 2024 May 1.

Authors

Hongyan Liu¹, Yi Wang¹, Xiao Xue¹, Yuhui Liu¹, Peng Chen², Peng Wang³, Shuang-Feng Yin⁴

Affiliations

¹ Provincial Guizhou Key Laboratory of Green Chemical and Clean Energy Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China.
² Provincial Guizhou Key Laboratory of Green Chemical and Clean Energy Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China. Electronic address: pchen3@gzu.edu.cn.
³ Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Anyang Institute of Technology, Anyang 455000, China. Electronic address: WangPeng2020@ayit.edu.cn.
⁴ College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, P.R. China; Advanced Catalytic Engineering Research Center of the Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P R China. Electronic address: sf_yin@hnu.edu.cn.

PMID: 38718592
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.04.221

Abstract

Functionalizing organic polymers is an effective strategy for enhancing their photocatalytic performance. However, this approach is currently limited by specific motifs, complex preparation methods, and an unclear electron transfer mechanism. Here, we present a meticulously designed structure of perylene diimide connected with poly (barbituric acid trimer) through self-assembled hydrogen bonding. In particular, the local chemical environment of the two components is adjusted by hydrogen bond-induced dipole-dipole interactions, leading to the emergence of a significant inherent electric field. Additionally, the formation of hydrogen bonds provides electronic pathways that facilitate charge transfer from perylene to adjacent units. Moreover, the distinctive electronic structure enhances polarity transfer and improves activation and adsorption capabilities for reactive molecules. Ultimately, B-PDI exhibits outstanding oxidation rates for benzylamine to N-benzylidene-benzylamine (10.03 mmol g^-1h^-1) and selectivity (>99.99 %). Our work offers a widely popular approach for enhancing the photocatalytic activity of organic semiconductor materials by constructing hydrogen bonds in heterogeneous molecules.

Keywords: Benzylamine oxidation; Built-in electric field; Electronic transmission channels; Hydrogen bonds; Molecular polarity.