Abstract
Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C(3)N(4)) is known to photogenerate hydrogen peroxide in the presence of hole quenchers in aqueous environments. Here, the g-C(3)N(4) photocatalyst is embedded into a host polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM-1) to provide recoverable heterogenized photocatalysts without loss of activity. Different types of g-C(3)N(4) (including Pt@g-C(3)N(4), Pd@g-C(3)N(4), and Au@g-C(3)N(4)) and different quenchers are investigated. Exploratory experiments yield data that suggest binding of the quencher either (i) directly by adsorption onto the g-C(3)N(4) (as shown for α-glucose) or (ii) indirectly by absorption into the microporous polymer host environment (as shown for Triton X-100) enhances the overall photochemical H(2)O(2) production process. The amphiphilic molecule Triton X-100 is shown to interact only weakly with g-C(3)N(4) but strongly with PIM-1, resulting in accumulation and enhanced H(2)O(2) production due to the microporous polymer host.