MOF-based Photocatalysts for Hydrogen Production

Metal-organic Frameworks (MOFs) are a class of porous crystalline materials that are assembled by multiple metal ions and organic linkers, featuring high specific surface area and tailorable structures. MOFs exhibit semiconductor-like behavior due to the inorganic fragment in the framework. Principally, the perfect crystalline structure inhibits the formation of charge recombination centers, and their porous characters facilitate the rapid/efficient utilization of the photogenerated electrons and holes. Therefore, in recent years, MOF based materials have received increasing attention for their applications in photocatalysis. Here, starting from the photocatalytic mechanism toward hydrogen production on MOF based materials, the three key photocatalytic processes: Light absorption, electron- hole separation, and surface redox reactions, will be illustrated according to the recent reports. In addition, MOF derivatives for photocatalytic hydrogen production is briefly introduced. Finally, the conclusions and perspectives are provided for the future development of MOF based photocatalysts.