Photocatalytic Activities of FeNbO(4)/NH(2)-MIL-125(Ti) Composites toward the Cycloaddition of CO(2) to Propylene Oxide

Photocatalytic utilization of CO(2) in the production of value-added chemicals has presented a recent green alternative for CO(2) fixation. In this regard, three FeNbO(4)/NH(2)-MIL-125(Ti) composites of different mole ratios were synthesized, characterized using Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX). PXRD patterns confirm the co-existence of the parent components in the prepared composites. Moreover, the surface area increased as the mole percent of NH(2)-MIL-125(Ti) in the composites increased due to the large surface area of NH(2)-MIL-125(Ti). Prepared composites were investigated for the photocatalytic insertion of CO(2) into propylene oxide. FeNbO(4(75%))/NH(2)-MIL-125(Ti)((25%)) showed the highest percent yield of 52% compared to the other two composites. Results demonstrate the cooperative mechanism between FeNbO(4) and NH(2)-MIL-125(Ti) and that the reaction proceeded photocatalytically.