Construction of Anthracene‐based Metal–Organic Framework Exhibiting Enhanced Singlet Oxygen Storage and Release Capabilities for Efficient Photodegradation of Phenolic Pollutants

Abstract Controlling the generation and release of singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) with high oxidation activity and long lifetime properties holds significant potential for efficient oxidation of permanent organic pollutants, tumor eradication, and targeted molecular oxidation. However, the conditions for controlled generation and release of 1 O 2 remain unclear. Hence, the novel anthracene‐ligands based Zr‐MOFs which use acetic acid (HAc) are constructed to optimize the surface defects and specific surface area exhibit ultrafast saturation adsorption capacity (362.60 mg g −1 in 60 s) and deep photodegradation performance toward bisphenol A (BPA) in water (50 ppm in 20 min) via Zr‐DPA MOF‐1HAc. Mechanistic studies have shown that MOFs are capable of generating high concentrations of 1 O 2 , while anthracene ligands can rapidly store 1 O 2 and form endoperoxides (EPOs), which can be rapidly released under external light, heat, or chemical triggering conditions. Thus, high concentration of 1 O 2 is always involved in the oxidation reaction throughout the whole photodegradation process and ultimately achieves the complete mineralization of target phenolic pollutant molecules. This innovative strategy has important implications for generating, storing and controlling the release of 1 O 2 in the field of environmental engineering and chemical synthesis.