Highly efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production from pure water via a photoactive metal-organic framework and its PDMS@MOF

A novel photoactive porous MOF, Zn-PDA2, with a high density distribution of photoadsorbing units, has been synthesized. It serves as an effective photosensitizer for H-2 evolution, boosting the photocatalytic efficiency up to approximately 16 times the value afforded by the homogeneous control, and the potential factors resulting in such a high efficiency are also discussed in detail. Importantly, the stability was significantly enhanced using a facile vapor deposition technique; the modified system gives up to 12 880 turnovers versus Zn-PDA2 and could be well recycled. The present study provides some guidelines for the design and synthesis of high-efficiency and stable photoactive materials.