Photocatalytic activity of TiO2-Cu-metal-organic framework (MOF)

The accumulation of greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere has greatly increased with industrialization and creates serious problems on our environment such as global warming, melting of glaciers, sea level rise, and extinction of species. One of the solutions is to reduce the level of CO2. CO2 conversion can be achieved in a sustainable and environmentally safe way by a light-based photocatalytic method. In this study, a titanium dioxide doped copper metal organic framework (TiO2/Cu-MOF-NH2) based photocatalyst was prepared for the photocatalytic reduction of CO2. MOFs are effective photocatalysts after surface modification, structuring with other semiconductors, and doping with metal nanoparticles. The activity of the photocatalyst (TiO2/CuMOF-NH2) was determined by means of synthetic dye reduction reaction. In order to determine the effect of TiO2 on the MOF structure, characterization of TiO2/Cu-MOF-NH2 and Cu-MOF-NH2 was done. The photocatalysts were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction tests. As a result, 17% of adsorption and 31.7% adsorption-photocatalysis were achieved by TiO2/Cu-MOF-NH2 photocatalysis. © 2023 Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Union of Chemists in Bulgaria.