Cu(I)-4,4′-bipyridine coordination polymer for photocatalytic H2 generation

Solar water splitting represents one of the most promising strategies in the quest for clean and renewable energy. However, high cost, low conversion efficiency, large amount of sacrificial agents, and complex water splitting system limits its practical application. Herein, the previously reported earth-abundant Cu(I)-4,4′-bipyridine coordination polymer (denoted as Cu–BPY) has been investigated, which exhibits highly photocatalytic activity for H2 production (5275 μmol·g–1·h–1) with the relatively low amount of triethylamine (TEA) as sacrificial donor but without additional co-catalyst and photosensitizer. Moreover, DFT calculations establish the electronic structure of Cu(I)-4,4′-bipyridine with a narrow band gap of 2.39 eV, which is consistent with the experimental value of 2.21 eV. This finding provides a new experimental basis for designing water splitting and related photocatalytic materials.