A novel metal-free photocatalyst polyphenylene sulfide: Synthesis, characterization and performance evaluation

A novel metal-free organic photocatalyst entitled polyphenylene sulfide with intrinsic polarization is designed and synthesized for effective photo-induced degradation of various organic pollutants and selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde. The polarization-induced spatial charge separation can effectively facilitate the transfer of photogenerated charges, thus largely enhancing the photocatalytic activities.