Solar-driven
hydrogen (H2) generation from
seawater
exhibits great economic value in addressing the urgent energy shortage
yet faces challenges from the severe salt-deactivation effect, which
could result in the consumption of photoinduced charges and decomposition
of catalysts. Herein, a triptycene-based polymer was coated on the
surface of a Cd
x
Zn1–x
S nanorod to form a core–shell heterojunction
(TCP@CZS) by using the in situ Suzuki reaction for
photocatalytic H2 production from water/seawater splitting.
The introduction of TCP can provide a large surface area, enrich the
active site, and boost charge transfer for the proton reduction reaction.
Benefiting from it, optimal TCP@CZS indicated a H2 evolution
rate of 93.88 mmol h–1 g–1 with
Na2S/Na2SO3 in natural seawater under
simulated solar light irradiation, which was 2.2 and 1.1 times higher
than that of pure Cd0.6Zn0.4S and that in pure
water, respectively. Besides, the apparent quantum efficiency (AQE)
of TCP@CZS-3 under 420 nm light irradiation was 22.6% in seawater.
This work highlights the feasibility of the triptycene-based porous
organic polymer as an efficient catalyst for solar energy conversion
in seawater.