Integrating Electronic-Storage Piperazine into Covalent Organic Frameworks for Promoting Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Shuang Zheng - , CAS - Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) (Author)
  • Yubin Fu - , Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden (cfaed), Chair of Molecular Functional Materials (cfaed), Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics (Author)
  • Xiaoyu Xu - , CAS - Shanghai Advanced Research Institute (Author)
  • Qing Xu - , CAS - Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) (Author)
  • Gaofeng Zeng - , CAS - Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) (Author)

Abstract

Metal-free covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have emerged as potential electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in new environmental-friendly electrochemical energy conversion technologies. However, their catalytic activity is hindered by inefficient electron transfer from electrodes to catalytic sites along extended frameworks. To overcome this bottleneck, herein, we first incorporated redox-active piperazine units into the COFs to catalyze ORR. The redox-active piperazine units enable to storage electrons, thus accelerate the electron transfer to the catalytic sites. Furthermore, the introduction of ─OH group-containing building blocks induces keto-enol tautomerism (enabling reversible ─OH / ─C═O interconversion), improving framework polarity with a dipole moment of 6.87 Debye (5.8 times increase compared to non-hydroxylated COFs). This polarity enhancement strengthens the intermediates binding ability, thereby improving the catalytic activity. As a result, the optimized PD-COF-OH exhibits a high half-wave potential of 0.76 V, turnover frequency (TOF) of 0.045 s−1, and electrochemically active surface area of 9.4 mF cm−2, surpassing most reported metal-free COFs. Theoretical calculations further reveal synergistic roles of ─OH and ─C═O groups in stabilizing OOH* and OH* intermediates, contributing to the improved catalytic activity. This work establishes a novel design paradigm for catalytic COFs through a rational integration of electron reservoir units and tautomerism-enabled polarity modulation.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere202503434
JournalAngewandte Chemie - International Edition
Volume64
Issue number22
Publication statusPublished - 26 May 2025
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 40091004

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

  • Covalent organic frameworks, Electrocatalysis, Oxygen reduction reaction, Piperazine, Zinc-air battery