Investigating metal-organic framework based on nickel (II) and benzene 1,3,5-tri carboxylic acid (H3BTC) as a new photocatalyst for degradation of 4-nitrophenol

Metal-organic framework nickel (II) benzene tricarboxylate Ni3(BTC)2·12H2O (MOF-Ni) has been synthesised under solvothermal conditions and characterised by single crystal X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The photocatalytic degradation of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) using MOF-Ni under UV light irradiation was investigated and showed satisfactory results. A catalytic mechanism is proposed in terms of the HOMO-LUMO (highest occupied molecular orbital-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital) gap and the associated light-induced transition. The results showed that the studied MOF-based photocatalyst can be reused three to five times in the photocatalysis process and can degrade and mineralise 74% and 48% of 4-NP, respectively.