Chinese Journal of Catalysis ›› 2026, Vol. 87: 100-112.DOI: 10.1016/S1872-2067(26)65088-7

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Built-in electric field coupled with non-noble metal plasma cocatalyst boosts photocatalytic CO2 reduction of MIL-125

Xiaokang Jianga,1, Yongze Gaoa,1, Bowen Zhanga,1, Xiaodong Yanga, Zhimin Yuanb,*(), Zhaoning Xua, Bin Sunc,*(), Zaiyong Jiangb, Guowei Zhouc,*(), Enlong Zhoua,*()   

  1. a College of Chemistry and Material Science, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, Shandong, China
    b School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering and Environmental Engineering, Weifang University, Weifang 261061, Shandong, China
    c School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, Shandong, China
  • Received:2025-12-01 Accepted:2026-01-12 Online:2026-08-18 Published:2026-06-24
  • About author:1Contributed equally to this work.
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China(22502145);National Natural Science Foundation of China(22572148);National Natural Science Foundation of China(52202102);National Natural Science Foundation of China(52472215);National Natural Science Foundation of China(61804075);Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province, China(ZR2023MB049);Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province, China(ZR2023QB285)

Abstract:

In recent years, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) based materials have garnered significant interest for photocatalytic CO2 reduction, owing to their unique structural features coupled with exceptional CO2 capture capacities. Due to the insufficient light absorption capacity and low efficiency of photogenerated electron-hole separation, their catalytic activities still need to be further improved. Plasma cocatalyst is considered as a promising strategy to expand light absorption range and facilitate separation efficiency of photogenerated charges for inorganic semiconductor photocatalysts, thereby also beginning to be explored and applied in the MOFs-based photocatalysts. However, due to the usual lattice mismatch or large growth differences between metals and MOFs, interface barriers exist, which to some extent hinders the effective transmission of photogenerated electrons. Build-in electric field (IEF) of the interface could be used as the driving force to overcome the interface barriers, promoting the transfer of charge carriers. Herein, the non-noble metal Bi and ordinary MIL-125 are chosen as plasma cocatalyst and MOF object, respectively, forming Bi/MIL-125 composite via an in-situ reduction strategy. The experimental results and theoretical calculation demonstrate that an IEF is formed and pointed from Bi to MIL-125. And metal Bi possesses obvious plasma light absorption and carrier capture capabilities. Built-in electric field in coordination with Bi plasma co-catalytic effect realizes the highly efficient photocatalytic CO2 reduction. The optimized BM-110 demonstrates a 10.4-fold higher CO production rate relative to the initial MIL-125, recording a yield of 96.63 µmol g‒1 h‒1. This work demonstrated a new insight to design MOF-based photocatalysts for photocatalytic CO2 reduction.

Key words: Metal Bi, MIL-125, Plasma effect, Built-in electric field, Photocatalytic CO2 reduction