Large-scale synthesis of low-cost 2D metal-organic frameworks for highly selective photocatalytic CO2 reduction

Two-dimensional metal-organic frameworks (2D MOFs), as a new type of 2D materials, have been widely applied in various applications because of their unique structures and exposed active sites. Herein, we reported two low-cost 2D MOFs constructed by a raw chemical succinic acid (SA), M-SA (M = Ni or Co), which served as efficient photocatalysts for the reduction of CO2 to CO. Taking advantage of the thinness and open metal sites, the ultrathin Ni-SA nanosheets (ca. 3.6 nm) exhibited excellent CO production of 6.96(7) mmol center dot g(-1)h(-1) and CO selectivity of 96.6%. Photoelectrochemical tests and theoretical calculations further confirmed the higher charge transfer efficiency and unsaturated metal sites for promoting photocatalytic performances. More importantly, Ni-SA can also be synthesized in large-scale by an energy-saving method under room temperature, strongly suggesting its promising future and potential for practical applications.

Automated summary

We reported two low-cost 2D MOFs, M-SA (M = Ni or Co), constructed by succinic acid, which showed excellent photocatalytic performance in the reduction of CO2 to CO. The ultrathin Ni-SA nanosheets exhibited high CO production and selectivity, attributed to their thinness and open metal sites. The synthesis of Ni-SA using an energy-saving method under room temperature suggests its promising future for practical applications.