Fabrication of metal-doped BiOI/MOF composite photocatalysts with enhanced photocatalytic performance

An octahedron-like metal-organic framework (MOF) was successfully synthesized by the ultrasound irradiation synthesis method. Meanwhile, a novel visible-light-driven Cu-doped BiOI/MOF composite photocatalyst was also synthesized by the microwave irradiation. MOFs, a new class of porous crystalline materials, have attracted tremendous attention considering their broad applications because MOF possesses the repeated crystalline structures and thereby improving the harvest of solar energy and transportation of charge carriers. In this article, the result has revealed that the appropriate modification of BIOI by incorporating MOF and copper could reach the maximum hydrogen yield under visible light irradiation. The hydrogen evolution for 10% v/v lactic acid and 0.30 g L−1 of 3In/BiOI/4MOF composite photocatalyst had the maximum of 269.1 μmol h−1 g−1 for 6 h. However, as the overall time in a course of irradiation is prolongated until 48 h, 3Cu/BiOI/4MOF has the higher hydrogen evolution efficiency (7685.2 μmol) than that of 3In/BiOI/4MOF. Therefore, this study has substantially demonstrated to enhance the photocatalytic efficiency of BiOI photocatalyst using MOF and copper modified BiOI.