Boosting
the slow exciton dissociation of conjugated polymers (CPs)
is of significance for their application in photocatalysis. Extensive
research has been dedicated to improve the exciton separation efficiency
through the rational molecular design, while constructing donor−π–acceptor
(D−π–A) structures with larger π-electron
delocalization to extend carrier migrating distance can further promote
exciton dissociation. In this work, we reported the design and construction
of D−π–A CP systems by using pyrene, dibenzo[b,d]thiophene 5,5-dioxide, and diethynylbenzene
as the donor group, acceptor group, and π-linker units, respectively,
for improving the photocatalytic performance. Density functional theory
studies and experimental investigations reveal that the D−π–A
structure can suppress charge recombination, minimize exciton binding
energy, and extend the light absorption range, thereby improving the
photocatalytic activity in comparison to the A−π–A
and D−π–D structures. It is believed that this
work can provide inspiration for the precise regulation of the D−π–A
system by combining experiments and theoretical calculations, thereby
enhancing the photocatalytic performance of CPs.