A Flower-like In(2)O(3) Catalyst Derived via Metal–Organic Frameworks for Photocatalytic Applications

The most pressing concerns in environmental remediation are the design and development of catalysts with benign, low-cost, and efficient photocatalytic activity. The present study effectively generated a flower-like indium oxide (In(2)O(3)-MF) catalyst employing a convenient MOF-based solvothermal self-assembly technique. The In(2)O(3)-MF photocatalyst exhibits a flower-like structure, according to morphology and structural analysis. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the In(2)O(3)-MF catalyst for 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) and methylene blue (MB) is likely due to its unique 3D structure, which includes a large surface area (486.95 m(2) g(−1)), a wide spectrum response, and the prevention of electron–hole recombination compared to In(2)O(3)-MR (indium oxide-micro rod) and In(2)O(3)-MD (indium oxide-micro disc). In the presence of NaBH(4) and visible light, the catalytic performances of the In(2)O(3)-MF, In(2)O(3)-MR, and In(2)O(3)-MD catalysts for the reduction of 4-NP and MB degradation were investigated. Using In(2)O(3)-MF as a catalyst, we were able to achieve a 99.32 percent reduction of 4-NP in 20 min and 99.2 percent degradation of MB in 3 min. Interestingly, the conversion rates of catalytic 4-NP and MB were still larger than 95 and 96 percent after five consecutive cycles of catalytic tests, suggesting that the In(2)O(3)-MF catalyst has outstanding catalytic performance and a high reutilization rate.