Ni(dmgH)2 complex coupled with metal-organic frameworks MIL-101(Cr) for photocatalytic H2 evolution under visible light irradiation

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been tremendously used as photocatalysts for H-2 generation in recent years. Lacking native active sites (so-called co-catalyst) for H-2 generation motivates the incorporation of noble metals and their molecular complexes, hydrogenase active site mimics into MOFs to promote H-2 generation. We herein report an noble-metal-free photocatalytic H-2 generation system consisting of Erythrosin B dye-sensitized MIL-101(Cr) as a light absorber and Ni(dmgH)(2) as a co-catalyst. It is found that Ni(dmgH)(2) can serve as an efficient co-catalyst to boost H-2 generation in the presence of triethanolamine (TEOA) as an electron donor under visible light irradiation. The optimal MIL-101(Cr)/Ni(dmgH)(2) hybrid (5 wt% Ni(dmgH)(2)) displays a hydrogen H-2 rate of 45.5 mmol h(-1), which is 10 times greater than the control sample without Ni(dmgH)(2) loading. This paper provides a novel design route for active H-2 generation systems by combining molecular complexes of earth-abundant metal and MOFs photocatalysts. (C) 2016 The Chinese Ceramic Society. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license.