A Polypyridyl‐Based Layered Complex as Dual‐Functional Co‐catalyst for Photo‐Driven Organic Dyes Degradation and Water Splitting

• Published in: Zeitschrift für anorganische und allgemeine Chemie (1950) Vol. 645; no. 8; pp. 623 - 630
• Main Authors: Li, Lei, Huang, Lu, Liu, Zheng‐Yu, Zhao, Xiao‐Jun, Yang, En‐Cui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 30.04.2019
• Subjects: 2,6‐Bis(1,8‐naphthyridine‐2‐yl)pyridine; Catalytic activity; Coordination compounds; Co‐photocatalyst; Crystal structure; Dye degradation; Dyes; Hydrogen peroxide; Hydrogen production; Photocatalysis; Photocatalysts; Pollutants; Rhodamine; Wastewater; Water pollution; Water splitting
• ISSN: 0044-2313; 1521-3749
• DOI: 10.1002/zaac.201900007

With the ever‐increasing concerns on environmental pollution and energy crisis, it is of great urgency to develop high‐performance photocatalyst to eliminate organic pollutants from wastewater and produce hydrogen via water splitting. Herein, a polypyridyl‐based mixed covalent CuI/II complex with triangular {Cu3} and rhombic {Cu2Cl4} subunits alternately extended by mixed SCN– and Cl– heterobridges [Cu4(DNP)(SCN)Cl4]n (1) [DNP = 2,6‐bis(1,8‐naphthyridine‐2‐yl)pyridine] was solvothermally synthesized and employed as a dual‐functional co‐photocatalyst. Resulting from a narrowed band‐gap of 1.07 eV with suitable redox potential and unsaturated CuI/II sites, the complex together with H2O2 can effectively degrade Rhodamine B and methyl orange up to 87.4 and 88.2 %, respectively. Meanwhile, the complex mixed with H2PtCl6 can also accelerate the photocatalytic water splitting in the absence of a photosensitizer with the hydrogen production rate of 27.5 μmol·g–1·h–1. These interesting findings may provide informative hints for the design of the multiple responsive photocatalysts.