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TiO2@NH2-MIL-125(Ti) composite derived from a partial-etching strategy with enhanced carriers’ transfer for the rapid photocatalytic Cr(VI) reduction

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Abstract

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)-based composites have been widely applied as photocatalysts because of their synergistic effect between the two individual component. Herein, TiO2@NH2-MIL-125(Ti) nanocomposites which possess unsaturated titanium—oxo clusters, mesoporous structure, and intimate interface were successfully constructed via an in-situ distilled water-etched route. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements indicated strong electronic interaction between TiO2 and NH2-MIL-125(Ti), confirming the formation of TiO2@NH2-MIL-125(Ti) nanocomposite. Photoelectrochemical and thermodynamics measurements showed that TiO2@NH2-MIL-125(Ti) nanocomposites have improved charge separation efficient and decreased transfer resistance of the carriers within the heterojunction interfaces, which facilitates the photoexcited electrons transfer and reduction of the Cr(VI) species. Therefore, the optimal TiO2@NH2-MIL-125(Ti) nanocomposite demonstrated superior performance compared to NH2-MIL-125(Ti) and NH2-MIL-125(Ti) derived TiO2. Based on the free radical trapping experiment and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements, a possible type-II scheme was proposed for the enhanced photocatalytic activity over the TiO2@NH2-MIL-125(Ti) nanocomposite.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 61204078, 21671059, and 21877027), the Program for Innovative Research Team (in Science and Technology) of Henan Normal University (No. 2022TD03), the Henan Science and Technology Program (No. 21B150005), and the Scientific and Technological Innovation Team of Henan Normal University (No. 2022TD03). The authors would like to thank Yuxiang Wu from Shiyanjia Lab (www.shiyanjia.com) for the EPR measurements and analysis.

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  1. Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Province for Green Manufacturing of Fine Chemicals, Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Media and Reactions, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China

    Fang Xu, Wanning Cao, Jinzhou Li, Zhiyong Gao, Yuqin Jiang & Wei Li

  2. School of Environment, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China

    Songsong Zhi, Kai Jiang & Dapeng Wu

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  1. Fang Xu
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TiO2@NH2-MIL-125(Ti) composite derived from a partial-etching strategy with enhanced carriers’ transfer for the rapid photocatalytic Cr(VI) reduction

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Xu, F., Cao, W., Li, J. et al. TiO2@NH2-MIL-125(Ti) composite derived from a partial-etching strategy with enhanced carriers’ transfer for the rapid photocatalytic Cr(VI) reduction. Int J Miner Metall Mater 30, 630–641 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-022-2559-4

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