A Semi-Conductive Copper-Organic Framework with Two Types of Photocatalytic Activity

Based on the newly designed ligand 4-(3,5-dicarboxyphenyl)-4,2:6,4-terpyridine (DCTP), a unique semi-conductive 3D framework {[CuCu2(DCTP)(2)]NO(3)1.5DMF}(n) (1) with a narrow band gap of 2.1eV, was obtained and structurally characterized. DFT calculations with van de Waals correction employed to explore the electronic structure of 1, clearly revealed its semi-conductive behavior. Furthermore, we found that 1 exhibits a superior band alignment with water to produce hydrogen and degrade organic pollutants. Without adding any photosensitizers, 1 displays an efficiently photocatalytic hydrogen production in water based on the photo-generated electrons under UV/Vis light. 1 also exhibits excellent photo-degradation of methyl blue under visible-light owing to the strong oxidization of excited holes. It is the first example of MOFs with doubly photocatalytic activities related to photo-generated electrons and holes, respectively.