Heterometal-Organic Cages as Photo-Fenton-like Catalysts

Metal-organic cages, a class of supramolecular containers constructed by the self-assembly of metal ions and organic ligands, show great promise as catalytic agents. In this work, we designed and synthesized a series of rhombic dodecahedral Ni-Cu heterometal imidazolate cages (Ni8Cu6L24) that can act as highly active photoFenton-like catalysts. These cages possess a high ability to generate hydroxyl radicals ((OH)-O-center dot) under visible light in the presence of H2O2, which can rapidly degrade organic pollutants (e.g., rhodamine B, methylene blue, and methyl orange) into CO2 and H2O. Besides, they are robust catalysts, with high catalytic activity and reusability under conditions in high H2O2 concentration, providing potentially advanced materials for degrading persistent organic pollutants.

Automated summary

Metal-organic cages, designed and synthesized in this study, show high catalytic activity under visible light and high H2O2 concentration, rapidly degrading various organic pollutants into CO2 and H2O. These cages are not only robust catalysts but also have high reusability, providing potentially advanced materials for degrading persistent organic pollutants.