Built-in electric field mediated S-scheme charge migration and Co-N4(II) sites in cobalt phthalocyanine/MIL-68(In)-NH2 heterojunction for boosting photocatalytic nitric oxide oxidation

The efficiency of photocatalytic Nitric Oxide(NO) oxidation is limited by the lack of oxygen(O2) active sites and poor charge carrier separation. To address this challenge, we developed a molecular Cobalt Phthalocyanine modified MIL-68(In)–NH2 photocatalyst with a robust Built-in electric field(BIEF). In the 2 % CoPc-MIN sample, the BIEF strength is increased by 3.54 times and 5.83 times compared to pristine CoPc and MIL-68(In)–NH2, respectively. This BIEF facilitates the efficient S-scheme charge transfer, thereby enhancing photogenerated carrier separation. Additionally, the Co-N4(II) sites in CoPc can effectively trap the separated photoexcited electrons in the S-scheme system. In addition, the Co-N4(II) sites can also serve as active sites for O2 adsorption and activation, promoting the generation of superoxide radical (O2–), thereby driving the direct conversion of NO to nitrate(NO3–). Consequently, the 2 % CoPc-MIN sample exhibits a remarkable photocatalytic NO removal efficiency of 79.37 % while effectively suppressing the formation of harmful by-product nitrogen dioxide(NO2) to below 3.5 ppb. This study provides a feasible strategy for designing high-efficiency O2 activation photocatalysts for NO oxidation.