Mimicking natural photosynthesis to convert CO2 with H2O into value-added fuels achieving overall reaction is a promising way to reduce the atmospheric CO2 level. Casting the catalyst of two or more catalytic sites with rapid electron transfer and interaction may be an effective strategy for coupling photocatalytic CO2 reduction and H2O oxidation. Herein, based on the MOF ∪ COF collaboration, we have carefully designed and synthesized a crystalline hetero-metallic cluster catalyst denoted MCOF-Ti6Cu3 with spatial separation and functional cooperation between oxidative and reductive clusters. It utilizes dynamic covalent bonds between clusters to promote photo-induced charge separation and transfer efficiency, to drive both the photocatalytic oxidative and reductive reactions. MCOF-Ti6Cu3 exhibits fine activity in the conversion of CO2 with water into HCOOH (169.8 μmol g−1h−1). Remarkably, experiments and theoretical calculations reveal that photo-excited electrons are transferred from Ti to Cu, indicating that the Cu cluster is the catalytic reduction center.
Single clusters have attracted extensive research interest in the field of catalysis. However, achieving a highly uniform dispersion of a singlecluster catalyst is challenging. In this work, for the first time, we present a versatile strategy for uniformly dispersed polyoxometalates (POMs) in covalent organic frameworks (COFs) through confining POM cluster into the regular nanopores of COF by a covalent linkage. These COF-POM composites combine the properties of light absorption, electron transfer, and suitable catalytic active sites; as a result, they exhibit outstanding catalytic activity in artificial photosynthesis: that is, CO 2 photoreduction with H 2 O as the electron donor. Among them, TCOF-MnMo 6 achieved the highest CO yield (37.25 μmol g −1 h −1 with ca. 100% selectivity) in a gas−solid reaction system. Furthermore, a mechanism study based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrated that the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) process occurs from the COF to the POM, and then CO 2 reduction and H 2 O oxidation occur on the POM and COF, respectively. This work developed a method for a uniform dispersion of POM single clusters into a COF, which also shows the potential of using COF-POM functional materials in the field of photocatalysis.
A series of stable heterometallic Fe2M cluster‐based MOFs (NNU‐31‐M, M=Co, Ni, Zn) photocatalysts are presented. They can achieve the overall conversion of CO2 and H2O into HCOOH and O2 without the assistance of additional sacrificial agent and photosensitizer. The heterometallic cluster units and photosensitive ligands excited by visible light generate separated electrons and holes. Then, low‐valent metal M accepts electrons to reduce CO2, and high‐valent Fe uses holes to oxidize H2O. This is the first MOF photocatalyst system to finish artificial photosynthetic full reaction. It is noted that NNU‐31‐Zn exhibits the highest HCOOH yield of 26.3 μmol g−1 h−1 (selectivity of ca. 100 %). Furthermore, the DFT calculations based on crystal structures demonstrate the photocatalytic reaction mechanism. This work proposes a new strategy for how to design crystalline photocatalyst to realize artificial photosynthetic overall reaction.
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