A Shell-Core Structure ZIF-8@AgNWs for Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue

Due to the wider bandgap and low electron discharge capacity, the zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8) shows low photocatalytic performance compared with conventional semiconductor materials. To enhance the photocatalytic activity of ZIF-8, the ZIF-8@AgNWs composite is synthesized via the in situ growth method using silver nanowires (AgNWs) as the photo-enhanced material. The obtained ZIF-8@AgNWs exhibit the fully encapsulated shell-core structure of ZIF-8-AgNWs. The UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) analysis shows that the addition of AgNWs leads to a significant increase in light absorption of the ZIF-8@AgNWs composite, and the bandgap of the ZIF-8@AgNWs is 2.9 eV, with a significant decrease compared to pure ZIF-8 (4.96 eV). The ZIF-8@AgNWs-2 achieves the best photocatalytic activity for methylene blue (MB) degradation. Its degradation efficiency reaches 94%, and its apparent rate constant is 0.04371 min(-1). Herein, a novel strategy for the MOF-based photocatalytic materials with higher photocatalytic activity is provided.

Automated summary

By using silver nanowires (AgNWs) as photo-enhanced material, the ZIF-8@AgNWs composite with fully encapsulated shell-core structure of ZIF-8-AgNWs is successfully synthesized via in situ growth method. The addition of AgNWs significantly increases the light absorption of the ZIF-8@AgNWs composite, and the bandgap of ZIF-8@AgNWs is 2.9 eV, with a significant decrease compared to pure ZIF-8 (4.96 eV). The ZIF-8@AgNWs-2 exhibits the best photocatalytic activity for methylene blue (MB) degradation, with a degradation efficiency of 94% and an apparent rate constant of 0.04371 min(-1).