Concurrent Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation and Dye Degradation Using MIL‐125‐NH2 under Visible Light Irradiation

Abstract The impact of different transition metal‐based co‐catalysts toward photocatalytic water reduction when they are physically mixed with visible‐light active MIL‐125‐NH 2 is first systematically studied. All co‐catalyst/MIL‐125‐NH 2 photocatalytic systems are found to be highly stable after photocatalysis, with the NiO/MIL‐125‐NH 2 and Ni 2 P/MIL‐125‐NH 2 systems exhibiting high hydrogen (H 2 ) evolution rates of 1084 and 1230 µmol h −1 g −1 , respectively. Second, how different electron donors affect the stability and H 2 generation rate of the best Ni 2 P/MIL‐125‐NH 2 system is investigated and it is found that triethylamine fulfils both requirements. Then, the electron donor is replaced with rhodamine B (RhB), a dye that is commonly used as a simulant organic pollutant, with the aim of integrating the photocatalytic H 2 generation with the degradation of RhB in a single process. This is of supreme importance as replacing the costly (and toxic) electron donors with hazardous molecules present in wastewater makes it possible to oxidize organic pollutants and produce H 2 simultaneously. This is the first study where a metal–organic framework (MOF) system is used for this dual‐photocatalytic activity under visible light illumination and the proof‐of‐concept approach envisions a sustainable waste‐water remediation process driven by the abundant solar energy, while H 2 is produced, captured, and further utilized.