Photo–thermo synergistic permanganate decomposition over a hydrolytically stable Co(ii)-MOF†

Abstract

Photo–thermo catalysis that combines photo- and thermo-catalysis has emerged as an attractive approach for effective and economical elimination of pollutants. Herein, we fabricated a robust, highly water stable 2D Co(II)-MOF photo–thermo catalyst towards the decomposition of permanganate anions. It has been demonstrated that Co(II)-MOF exhibits excellent catalytic capacity, good selectivity and incredible reusability for degrading MnO₄⁻. The reaction rate of the process was investigated for thermo–photo vs. thermo/photo processes to provide conclusive evidence that Co(II)-MOF shows a strong synergistic use as both an energy source and Lewis acid.