BiOI Particles Confined into Metal–Organic Framework NU-1000 for Valid Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution under Visible-Light Irradiation

Abstract

Herein, a surface site engineering strategy is used to construct a porous Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (PHE) by integration of BiOI in a mesoporous Zr-based metal–organic framework (MOF) NU-1000. Three high-quality and highly dispersed [email protected] heterojunction materials are synthesized, and a set of methods is used to characterize these materials, indicating that the [email protected] heterojunction can retain high porosity and crystallinity of the parent NU-1000. Furthermore, the built-in electric field of the [email protected] composite can effectively tune the band gap, promote the separation of photoinduced charge carriers, improve photocurrent intensity, and reduce photoelectric impedance. Under visible-light irradiation, [email protected] showed the best photocatalytic performance in the field of MOF-based photocatalysts for PHE, with a hydrogen production rate of up to 610 μmol h^–1 g^–1. This study will open up opportunities for the construction of Z-scheme photocatalysts based on the highly porous MOF materials to inspire the development of innovative photocatalysts.