Photocatalytic production of H2O2 and its in situ sterilization over Zn-based ZIFs materials

In situ generation of H2O2 by photocatalyst with sterilization is an environmentally friendly method. In this work, we prepared three kinds of Zn-based ZIFs materials, i.e., MAF-6, ZIF-11 and ZIF-71, and systematically investigated their application in the area of photocatalytic H2O2 production, and antibacterial efficiency. It is found that MAF-6 had the best ability of generate H2O2 (1005 μmol h-1g-1), 1.6 times more than ZIF-11, while ZIF-71 produced almost no H2O2. The sterilization rate of MAF-6 against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli can reach 97% and 91% in 3 h, respectively. It is worth noting that the more photo-generated reactive oxygen species (∙OH and ∙O2-) are produced, the better sterilization effect. This work provides new material and insights into photocatalytic sterilization by in situ H2O2 generation.