Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation of p‐Nitrophenol by Ag@Co‐MOF Prepared Based on 1,3‐Phenylenediacetic Acid

ABSTRACT Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are well‐known for their promising applications in photocatalysis, but single‐component MOFs have limited effectiveness in degrading organic pollutants. To address this, we designed a novel photocatalyst for the efficient degradation of p‐nitrophenol (p‐NP). In this study, we synthesized a two‐dimensional [Co (tib)(mpda)(H 2 O) 2 ]·H 2 O (Co‐MOF) (tib = 1,3,5‐tris(1‐imidazolyl)benzene, H 2 mpda = 1,3‐phenylenediacetic acid) using a hydrothermal method. Silver particles were then deposited on the surface of the Co‐MOF via a photo‐reduction method, forming Ag@Co‐MOF. The incorporation of Ag particles accelerated photogenerated carrier transport and prevented the recombination of electrons (e − ) and holes (h + ), resulting in superior photocatalytic degradation performance. The bandgap energy of Co‐MOF is 3.4 eV, whereas that of Ag@Co‐MOF is reduced to 2.8 eV, significantly enhancing visible light absorption. After 240 min of illumination, Ag@Co‐MOF achieved a degradation efficiency of 92.7% for p‐NP, with a degradation rate of 0.0095 min −1 . Analysis of active substances and intermediates through free radical trapping tests, ESR tests, XPS valence band tests, and LC–MS revealed that Ag@Co‐MOF promoted the generation of active substances ·OH and ·O 2 − , facilitating the rapid oxidative degradation of p‐NP. In summary, Ag@Co‐MOF provides a promising and sustainable green pathway for pollutant removal and environmental remediation, while also expanding the application areas of MOF materials.