A Polypyridyl‐Based Layered Complex as Dual‐Functional Co‐catalyst for Photo‐Driven Organic Dyes Degradation and Water Splitting

With the ever‐increasing concerns on environmental pollution and energy crisis, it is of great urgency to develop high‐performance photocatalyst to eliminate organic pollutants from wastewater and produce hydrogen via water splitting. Herein, a polypyridyl‐based mixed covalent Cu^I/II complex with triangular {Cu₃} and rhombic {Cu₂Cl₄} subunits alternately extended by mixed SCN^– and Cl^– heterobridges Cu₄(DNP)(SCN)Cl₄]_n ( 1 ) DNP = 2,6‐bis(1,8‐naphthyridine‐2‐yl)pyridine] was solvothermally synthesized and employed as a dual‐functional co‐photocatalyst. Resulting from a narrowed band‐gap of 1.07 eV with suitable redox potential and unsaturated Cu^I/II sites, the complex together with H₂O₂ can effectively degrade Rhodamine B and methyl orange up to 87.4 and 88.2 %, respectively. Meanwhile, the complex mixed with H₂PtCl₆ can also accelerate the photocatalytic water splitting in the absence of a photosensitizer with the hydrogen production rate of 27.5 μmol · g^–1 · h^–1. These interesting findings may provide informative hints for the design of the multiple responsive photocatalysts.