A monolithic gold nanoparticle@metal-organic framework composite as CO2 photoreduction catalyst
Tian Tian, Jie Xu, Amir Abdolazizi, Chengyu Ji, Jingwei Hou, D. Jason Riley, Cheng Yan, Mary P. Ryan, Fang Xie, Camille Petit
Abstract
The application of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), especially MOF composites, has been hindered by a lack of method to process powders into useable forms. To address this challenge, we report here a low temperature synthesis method that enables direct formation of a densified monolithic MOF composite, i.e. [email protected] The monolithic composite contains Au nanoparticles (Au NPs) that are well-dispersed and encapsulated within ZIF-67 particles. It exhibits high surface area, bulk density, and mechanical robustness as observed in monolithic ZIF-67, while retaining the localized surface plasmonic resonance (LSPR) characteristic of Au NPs. Benefiting from this unique combination, the monolithic [email protected] samples display an enhanced CO2 photoreduction performance under visible light—with the best-performing [email protected] sample showing a volumetric CO production rate 1.5 and 3 times higher compared to the pristine monolithic ZIF-67 and ZIF-67 powder, respectively.