Nickel single atoms anchored on a bipyridine-based covalent organic framework: boosting active sites for photodegradation of acetaminophen

in 30 min, outperforming other advanced photocatalysts. Experimental studies and density-functional theory (DFT) calculation clarified the role of well-dispersed Ni active sites in enhanced photodegradation, which not only narrowed the bandgap, facilitating carrier separation and migration, but also promoted the generation of reactive superoxide radicals. This study represents the first use of single-atom Ni-TpBpy in the efficient photocatalytic degradation of emerging pollutants with remarkable stability and universality, bringing new insights into the application of COF-based single-atom materials in environmental remediation.