Issue 25, 2023

Metal–organic frameworks in photocatalytic Z-scheme heterojunctions: an emerging technology

Abstract

There is an urgent need for cleaner production processes for chemicals. An efficient and promising alternative for such reactions is heterogeneous photocatalysis, which works on the principle of converting (visible) light, including solar energy, into chemical energy. To that end, properly designed semiconductor based photocatalysts are necessary to trigger the photocatalytic reactions. Many commonly used photocatalysts have too large bandgaps (3–3.4 eV) to use visible light and a too low surface area for efficient production. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as an encouraging class of materials for photocatalytic applications due to their (i) large surface area and porosity that facilitate adsorption towards chemicals, (ii) tunable crystallinity and optical and electronic properties for efficient light absorption in the visible region, (iii) tunable composition and functionality that make them versatile photocatalysts for a wide range of reactions, and (iv) facile development of composites with other semiconductors to produce Z-scheme heterojunctions that can effectively suppress the recombination of photogenerated charges. Ongoing research has started focusing on the judicious construction of Z-scheme heterojunctions in MOFs, to mimic natural photosynthesis, such that the MOF photocatalysts have higher light harvesting capacity, spatially separated reductive and oxidative active sites, and well-preserved redox ability. This review provides a concise compilation of the recent progress in the development and applications of MOF-based Z-scheme photocatalysts, their advanced characterization, and future perspectives for further advancements.

Graphical abstract: Metal–organic frameworks in photocatalytic Z-scheme heterojunctions: an emerging technology

Article information

Article type
Highlight
Submitted
27 okt 2022
Accepted
02 feb 2023
First published
07 feb 2023

Chem. Commun., 2023,59, 3627-3654

Metal–organic frameworks in photocatalytic Z-scheme heterojunctions: an emerging technology

A. Chatterjee, L. Wang and P. Van Der Voort, Chem. Commun., 2023, 59, 3627 DOI: 10.1039/D2CC05819G

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements