Highly effective photoreduction of CO(2) to CO promoted by integration of CdS with molecular redox catalysts through metal–organic frameworks

We propose a strategy to synthesize ternary CdS/UiO-bpy/Co composites by integration of CdS and molecular redox catalysts through metal–organic framework (MOF) UiO-bpy. The CdS/UiO-bpy/Co composites were very effective for photocatalytic conversion of CO(2) to CO under visible light irradiation. The evolution rate of CO could reach 235 μmol g(–1) h(–1), which was a 10.2-fold improvement compared to that for the parent CdS, and selectivity for CO was 85%. The outstanding performance of the CdS/UiO-bpy/Co composites resulted from promoting the separation and migration of photo-induced charge carriers, enhancing the adsorption of CO(2) molecules, and offering abundant active sites for CO(2) reduction. As far as we know, this is the first study to integrate inorganic semiconductors and molecular redox catalysts through MOFs.