MnFe sub(2)O sub(4) Nanocrystals Wrapped in a Porous Organic Polymer: A Designed Architecture for Water-Splitting Photocatalysis

A novel MnFe sub(2)O sub(4)-porous organic polymer (POP) nanocomposite was synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method and using the highly cross-linked N-rich benzene-benzylamine POP. The nanocomposite presented highly efficient photocatalytic performance in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) from pure water without addition of any sacrificial agent under one AM1.5G sunlight illumination. A photocatalytic activity of 6.12mmolh super(-1)g super(- 1) was achieved in the absence of any noble metal cocatalyst, which is the highest H sub(2) production rate reported for nonprecious metal catalysts. The photocatalytic performance of MnFe sub(2)O sub(4)-POP could be attributed to the intrinsic synergistic effects of manganese ferrite (MnFe sub(2)O sub(4)) nanoclusters interacting with the nitrogen dopant POP with a unique mesoporous nanoarchitecture and spatially confined growth of MnFe sub(2)O sub(4) in the interconnected POP network, leading to high visible-light absorption with fast electron transport. No noble metal cocatalyst required: A water-splitting photocatalyst has been developed based on noble-metal-free MnFe sub(2)O sub(4) nanocrystals and a porous organic polymer. The catalyst promotes the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) from pure water without addition of any sacrificial agent.