Efficient and ultra-stable Zr-MOF membranes for photocatalysis: Synergistic influence of Pt and lattice defects

In this paper, we first designed and synthesized a lattice defect-rich and large-sized trace Pt-modified Zr-based water-stable MOF membrane (Pt@UNPM/Pt). The presence of defects lowers the energy of the unoccupied d orbitals of Zr atoms, which aids in the separation and transfer of photogenerated charges. The trace Pt in and on the defect-rich framework shortened the electron transfer distance, thereby enhancing electron transfer efficiency and effectively suppressing electron-hole recombination. As a result, the photocatalytic hydrogen production activity of this membrane was 36.46 times that of the unmodified MOF membrane (UNPM). Furthermore, the Pt@UNPM/Pt membrane structure overcomes the collapse of defective MOFs and exhibited ultra-stable hydrogen production activity over a total of 600 h of photocatalytic hydrogen production testing and outstanding cycling performance during five cycles of stability testing, totaling 500 h. Its hydrogen production lifetime represents the highest level reported for MOF-based photocatalysts to date. This design not only addresses the effective integration of defect engineering but also demonstrates promising application potential in the field of photocatalytic hydrogen production, laying a solid foundation for future research in this area.