Cobalt phthalocyanine sensitized MOF on MOF: UiO-66@MIL-88B(Fe)/CoTAPc, photocatalytic activity in the degradation of acid black 210

A novel ternary photocatalyst consisting of cobalt phthalocyanine (CoTAPc)-sensitized MOF on MOF: UiO-66@MIL-88B/CoTAPc has been constructed through an in situ two-step process. The close-crossed interface in UiO-66@MIL-88B endows them with an efficient charge transfer path, and the introduction of CoTAPc provides improved visible light harvesting ability. The crystal structure and the light absorption properties of the resulting UiO-66@MIL-88B/CoTAPc were well characterized, which were then applied in visible light induced photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes. The photocatalytic degradation percentages of acid black 210 (AB210) are 85.8% within 180 min by the ternary UiO-66@MIL-88B(Fe)/CoTAPc, whose results are evidently higher than those catalyzed by single CoTAPc (20.0%), UiO-66 (55.2%), and MIL-88B(Fe) (56.4%). And the best photodegradation rates are also found for ternary UiO-66@MIL-88B(Fe)/CoTAPc, which determine positive interface synergistic effects for the ternary heterostructure. Based on the optical absorption and electrochemical analyses the enhanced photocatalytic mechanism is suggested, and the roles of each component in the photodegradation process are clarified. The good cyclic photocatalytic reusability indicates the prospective applications of these multi-component MOF-based photocatalysts.

Automated summary

A novel ternary photocatalyst with efficient charge transfer and improved visible light absorption ability has been constructed. It exhibits significantly higher catalytic performance and the best photodegradation rate in visible light induced photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes. The enhanced photocatalytic mechanism and the roles of each component in the photodegradation process have been proposed based on optical absorption and electrochemical analysis.