Electron Donor Coordinated Metal‐Organic Framework to Enhance Photoelectrochemical Performance

Abstract To enhance photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance, additional electron donor/acceptor is generally required to inhibit the electron‐hole recombination. However, the enhancement is limited due to the long‐distance diffusion. Herein a self‐supplying electron strategy is designed for PEC enhancement by coordinating an electron donor 1.4‐diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (Dabco) in metal–organic framework (MOF). The intrareticular photoelectron transfer mechanism in mixed‐ligand MOF (m‐MOF) is experimentally revealed and verified by density functional theory calculations. The presence of Dabco efficiently inhibits the electron‐hole recombination due to the self‐supplying electrons and longer electron lifetime in the framework, and thus leads to 23.2‐fold enhancement of photocurrent. As proof of concept, a simple PEC method is constructed with the designed m‐MOF to demonstrate its application in sensitive bioanalysis. This work provides a new avenue for improving the PEC performance of nanomaterials.