Aerosol Processing of MOF-Based Nanocomposites for Carbon Dioxide Photoreduction

The continuous reliance on fossil fuel-based energy is inevitable in the near future. Therefore strategies to reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions are highly demanded. Developing efficient photocatalysts that can harness solar energy appears to be a promising methodology, i.e., the so-called CO₂ photoreduction, to capture and recycle CO₂ as a fuel feedstock. The conversion efficiency of the current photocatalysts, however, is generally very low due to various limiting factors, such as fast electron-hole recombination rates, narrow light absorption range, and backward reactions. Thus, developing strategies to overcome the above limitations is an important task in this field.

Here we report a facile development of novel metal-organic framework (MOF)-based nanocomposites with hierarchical structures and multi-functionalities via a single-step aerosol process. Effects of precursor concentration, component ratio, solvent type, and synthesis temperature were investigated in detail. The as-synthesized nanocomposites were systematically characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, UV-vis, FTIR and BET. The crystal formation mechanisms of MOFs and MOF-based nanocomposites in aerosol routes will be discussed. In-situ analyses by using gas chromatography (GC) and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) will be employed to further understand the CO₂ photoreduction pathways.