Facilitated Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction in Aerobic Environment on a Copper-Porphyrin Metal-Organic Framework

Regulating Spin Density using TEMPOL Molecules for Enhanced CO2-to-Ethylene Conversion by HKUST-1 Framework Derived Electrocatalysts

The selectivity of multicarbon products in the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) depends on the spin alignment of neighboring active sites, which requires a spin catalyst that facilitates electron transfer with antiparallel spins for enhanced C-C coupling. Here, we design a radical-contained spin catalyst (TEMPOL@HKUST-1) to enhance CO2-to-ethylene conversion, in which spin-disordered (SDO) and spin-ordered (SO) phases co-exist to construct an asymmetric spin configuration of neighboring active sites. The replacement of axially coordinated H2O molecules with TEMPOL radicals introduces spin-spin interactions among the Cu(II) centers to form localized SO phases within the original H2O-mediated SDO phases. Therefore, TEMPOL@HKUST-1 derived catalyst exhibited an approximately two-fold enhancement in ethylene selectivity during the CO2RR at -1.8 V versus Ag/AgCl compared to pristine HKUST-1. In situ ATR-SEIRAS spectra indicate that the spin configuration at asymmetric SO/SDO sites significantly reduces the kinetic barrier for *CO intermediate dimerization toward the ethylene product. The performance of the spin catalyst is further improved by spin alignment under a magnetic field, resulting in a maximum ethylene selectivity of more than 50 %. The exploration of the spin-polarized kinetics of the CO2RR provides a promising path for the development of novel spin electrocatalysts with superior performance.

Unveiling Advancements: Trends and Hotspots of Metal-Organic Frameworks in Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are robust, crystalline, and porous materials featured by their superior CO2 adsorption capacity, tunable energy band structure, and enhanced photovoltaic conversion efficiency, making them highly promising for photocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (PCO2RR). This study presents a comprehensive examination of the advancements in MOFs-based PCO2RR field spanning the period from 2011 to 2023. Employing bibliometric analysis, the paper scrutinizes the widely adopted terminology and citation patterns, elucidating trends in publication, leading research entities, and the thematic evolution within the field. The findings highlight a period of rapid expansion and increasing interdisciplinary integration, with extensive international and institutional collaboration. A notable emphasis on significant research clusters and key terminologies identified through co-occurrence network analysis, highlighting predominant research on MOFs such as UiO, MIL, ZIF, porphyrin-based MOFs, their composites, and the hybridization with photosensitizers and molecular catalysts. Furthermore, prospective design approaches for catalysts are explored, encompassing single-atom catalysts (SACs), interfacial interaction enhancement, novel MOF constructions, biocatalysis, etc. It also delves into potential avenues for scaling these materials from the laboratory to industrial applications, underlining the primary technical challenges that need to be overcome to facilitate the broader application and development of MOFs-based PCO2RR technologies.

Boosting CO2 Electroreduction over a Covalent Organic Framework in the Presence of Oxygen

Herein, we propose an oxygen-containing species coordination strategy to boost CO2 electroreduction in the presence of O2. A two-dimensional (2D) conjugated metal-covalent organic framework (MCOF), denoted as NiPc-Salen(Co)2-COF that is composed of the Ni-phthalocyanine (NiPc) unit with well-defined Ni-N4-O sites and the salen(Co)2 moiety with binuclear Co-N2O2 sites, is developed and synthesized for enhancing the CO2RR under aerobic condition. In the presence of O2, one of the Co sites in the NiPc-Salen(Co)2-COF that coordinated with the intermediate of *OOH from ORR could decrease the energy barrier of the activation of CO2 molecules and stabilize the key intermediate *COOH of the CO2RR over the adjacent Co center. Besides, the oxygen species axially coordinated Ni-N4-O sites can favor in reducing the energy barrier of the intermediate *COOH formation for the CO2RR. Thus, NiPc-Salen(Co)2-COF exhibits high oxygen-tolerant CO2RR performance and achieves outstanding CO Faradaic efficiency (FECO) of 97.2 % at -1.0 V vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) and a high CO partial current density of 40.3 mA cm-2 at -1.1 V in the presence of 0.5 % O2, which is superior to that in pure CO2 feed gas (FECO=94.8 %, jCO=19.9 mA cm-2). Notably, the NiPc-Salen(Co)2-COF achieves an industrial-level current density of 128.3 mA cm-2 in the flow-cell reactor with 0.5 % O2 at -0.8 V, which is higher than that in pure CO2 atmosphere (jCO=104.8 mA cm-2). It is worth noting that an excellent FECO of 86.8 % is still achieved in the presence of 5 % O2 at -1.0 V. This work provides an effective strategy to enable the CO2RR under O2 atmosphere by utilizing the *OOH intermediates of ORR to boost CO2 electroreduction.

Strain-Induced Surface Interface Dual Polarization Constructs PML-Cu/Bi12O17Br2 High-Density Active Sites for CO2 Photoreduction

The insufficient active sites and slow interfacial charge transfer of photocatalysts restrict the efficiency of CO2 photoreduction. The synchronized modulation of the above key issues is demanding and challenging. Herein, strain-induced strategy is developed to construct the Bi-O-bonded interface in Cu porphyrin-based monoatomic layer (PML-Cu) and Bi12O17Br2 (BOB), which triggers the surface interface dual polarization of PML-Cu/BOB (PBOB). In this multi-step polarization, the built-in electric field formed between the interfaces induces the electron transfer from conduction band (CB) of BOB to CB of PML-Cu and suppresses its reverse migration. Moreover, the surface polarization of PML-Cu further promotes the electron converge in Cu atoms. The introduction of PML-Cu endows a high density of dispersed Cu active sites on the surface of PBOB, significantly promoting the adsorption and activation of CO2 and CO desorption. The conversion rate of CO2 photoreduction to CO for PBOB can reach 584.3 μmol g-1, which is 7.83 times higher than BOB and 20.01 times than PML-Cu. This work offers valuable insights into multi-step polarization regulation and active site design for catalysts.

Elucidating protonation pathways in CO2 photoreduction using the kinetic isotope effect

The surge in anthropogenic CO2 emissions from fossil fuel dependence demands innovative solutions, such as artificial photosynthesis, to convert CO2 into value-added products. Unraveling the CO2 photoreduction mechanism at the molecular level is vital for developing high-performance photocatalysts. Here we show kinetic isotope effect evidence for the contested protonation pathway for CO2 photoreduction on TiO2 nanoparticles, which challenges the long-held assumption of electron-initiated activation. Employing isotopically labeled H2O/D2O and in-situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy, we observe H+/D+-protonated intermediates on TiO2 nanoparticles and capture their inverse decay kinetic isotope effect. Our findings significantly broaden our understanding of the CO2 uptake mechanism in semiconductor photocatalysts.

Bimetallic Porphyrin-Based Metal-Organic Framework as a Superior Photocatalyst for Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production

The meaningful and rational engineering of porphyrin-based catalysts with multimetallic active sites is very attractive toward photocatalytic hydrogen generation from water decomposition. Herein, three metal organic frameworks (MOFs) based on meso-tetrakis(4-carboxylphenyl)porphyrin (TCPP) were successfully constructed under solvothermal conditions. As a novel architectured photocatalyst (triclinic, C48H29N4O10PdYb), Pd/Yb-PMOF manifested diverse metal active sites, suitable bandgap positions, prominent visible light-collecting capacity, excellent carrier transfer efficiency, and obvious synergistic effect between ytterbium and palladium ions. Consequently, such a bimetallic MOF exhibited strengthened photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance. Concretely, its hydrogen generation efficiency was up to 3196.42 μmol g-1 h-1 with 2 wt % Pt as a cocatalyst under visible light illumination. Our work demonstrates a promising strategy for highly efficient visible-light catalysts based on bimetallic-trimmed porphyrin MOFs.

Highly porous BiOBr@NU-1000 Z-scheme heterojunctions for synergistic efficient adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline

Designing an effective photoactive heterojunction having dual benefits towards photoenergy conversion and pollutant adsorption is regarded as an affordable, green method for eliminating tetracycline (TC) from wastewater. In this regard, a series of BiOBr@NU-1000 (BNU-X, X = 1, 2 and 3) heterojunction photocatalysts are constructed. BNU-X preserves the original skeleton structure of the parent NU-1000, and its high porosity and specific surface area enable superior TC adsorption. At the same time, BNU-X is an effective Z-scheme photocatalyst that improves light trapping, promotes photoelectron-hole separation, and shows excellent photocatalytic degradation efficiency towards TC with the value of the photodegradation kinetic rate constant k being 2.2 and 24.8 times those of NU-1000 and BiOBr, respectively. The significant increase in the photocatalytic activity is ascribed to the construction of an efficient Z-scheme photocatalyst, which promotes the formation of superoxide radicals (˙O2-) and singlet oxygen (1O2) as the main oxidative species in the oxidation system. This research has the advantage of possibilities for the development of porous Z-scheme photocatalysts based on photoactive MOF materials and inorganic semiconductors for the self-purification and photodegradation of organic contaminants.

Pulsed-Laser-Triggered Piezoelectric Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction over Tetragonal BaTiO3 Nanocubes

The recombination of photoinduced carriers in photocatalysts is considered one of the biggest barriers to the increase of photocatalytic efficiency. Piezoelectric photocatalysts open a new route to realize rapid carrier separation by mechanically distorting the lattice of piezoelectric nanocrystals to form a piezoelectric potential within the nanocrystals, generally requiring external force (e.g., ultrasonic radiation, mechanical stirring, and ball milling). In this study, a low-power UV pulsed laser (PL) (3 W, 355 nm) as a UV light source can trigger piezoelectric photocatalytic CO2 reduction of tetragonal BaTiO3 (BTO-T) in the absence of an applied force. The tremendous transient light pressure (5.7 × 107  Pa, 2.7 W) of 355 nm PL not only bends the energy band of BTO-T, thus allowing reactions that cannot theoretically occur to take place, but also induces a pulsed built-in electric field to determine an efficient photoinduced carrier separation. On that basis, the PL-triggered piezoelectric photocatalytic CO2 reduction realizes the highest reported performance, reaching a millimole level CO yield of 52.9 mmol g-1 h-1 and achieving efficient photocatalytic CO2 reduction in the continuous catalytic system. The method in this study is promising to contribute to the design of efficient piezoelectric photocatalytic reactions.

MOFs as Versatile Catalysts: Synthesis Strategies and Applications in Value-Added Compound Production

Catalysts played a crucial role in advancing modern human civilization, from ancient times to the industrial revolution. Due to high cost and limited availability of traditional catalysts, there is a need to develop cost-effective, high-activity, and nonprecious metal-based electrocatalysts. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as an ideal candidate for heterogeneous catalysis due to their physicochemical properties, hybrid inorganic/organic structures, uncoordinated metal sites, and accessible organic sections. MOFs are high nanoporous crystalline materials that can be used as catalysts to facilitate polymerization reactions. Their chemical and structural diversity make them effective for various reactions compared to traditional catalysts. MOFs have been applied in gas storage and separation, ion-exchange, drug delivery, luminescence, sensing, nanofilters, water purification, and catalysis. The review focuses on MOF-enabled heterogeneous catalysis for value-added compound production, including alcohol oxidation, olefin oligomerization, and polymerization reactions. MOFs offer tunable porosity, high spatial density, and single-crystal XRD control over catalyst properties. In this review, MOFs were focused on reactions of CO2 fixation, CO2 reduction, and photoelectrochemical water splitting. Overall, MOFs have great potential as versatile catalysts for diverse applications in the future.