A Bismuth-Based Metal–Organic Framework for Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalytic Decolorization of Dyes and Oxidation of Phenylboronic Acids
Longfei Lei, Yuanyuan Liu, Fengxia Tong, Guangyao Zhai, Honggang Zhang, Caiyun Zhang, Zeyan Wang, Peng Wang, Zhaoke Zheng, Hefeng Cheng, Ying Dai, Baibiao Huang
Abstract
In this work, a Bi-based metal-organic framework (MOF; Bi-MMTAA) with 2-mercapto-4-methyl-5-thiazoleacetic acid (MMTAA) as the organic ligand is synthesized. The crystal structure of Bi-MMTAA was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Theoretical calculations reveal that Bi-MMTAA is a p-type semiconductor, and electrons can delocalize through the π-conjugation when excited by a photon with an energy higher than the Bi-MMTAA band gap, which is beneficial to charge separation and transfer. The photoelectrical properties suggest that free electrons can be produced over Bi-MMTAA under light irradiation. The photocatalytic results suggest that Bi-MMTAA can decolorize rhodamine B (RhB) and oxidize phenylboronic acid to phenol under visible light (λ > 420 nm), with superoxide radicals being the main reactive oxygen species. Our results enrich the family of Bi-based MOFs and may inspire further exploration of Bi-based MOFs, including both synthesis and potential applications.