Embedding Lanthanide Organic Polyhedra into Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for the Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Dyes

Chem Asian J. 2023 Mar 14;18(6):e202201249. doi: 10.1002/asia.202201249. Epub 2023 Jan 26.

Abstract

Organic pollutants cause severe environmental problems because of their damage to human health and ecological systems. Photocatalytic degradation of persistent organic pollutants is of great importance to address these hazards. Herein, we report a lanthanide organic polyhedra-based hybrid material Gd8 L12 ⊂MSN with the capability of photocatalytic dye degradation. Gd8 L12 ⊂MSN was prepared by embedding the Gd8 L12 complex into mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) using a "ship-in-a-bottle" strategy. Photocurrent response tests revealed that this hybrid material is a potential semiconductor and could generate a rapid and steady photocurrent upon irradiation. Further dye degradation experiments indicated that it could photocatalyze the degradation of familiar organic dyes. Thereinto, compared with the critical Gd8 L12 complex, the hybrid material exhibited an acceleration of 2.4 times and realized reusability. This not only offers a potential advanced photocatalyst for degrading persistent organic pollutants, but also provides a strategy for the application of supramolecular materials in environmental science.

Keywords: Dye Degradation; Hybrid Material; Lanthanide Organic Polyhedron.