Abstract Electrochemical CO2reduction reaction (CO2‐RR) in non‐aqueous electrolytes offers significant advantages over aqueous systems, as it boosts CO2solubility and limits the formation of HCO3−and CO32−anions. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) in non‐aqueous CO2‐RR makes an attractive system for CO2capture and conversion. However, the predominantly organic composition of MOFs limits their electrical conductivity and stability in electrocatalysis, where they suffer from electrolytic decomposition. In this work, electrically conductive and stable Zirconium (Zr)‐based porphyrin MOF, specifically PCN‐222, metalated with a single‐atom Cu has been explored, which serves as an efficient single‐atom catalyst (SAC) for CO2‐RR. PCN‐ 222(Cu) demonstrates a substantial enhancement in redox activity due to the synergistic effect of the Zr matrix and the single‐atom Cu site, facilitating complete reduction of C2species under non‐aqueous electrolytic conditions. The current densities achieved (≈100 mA cm−2) are 4–5 times higher than previously reported values for MOFs, with a faradaic efficiency of up to 40% for acetate production, along with other multivariate C2products, which have never been achieved previously in non‐aqueous systems. Characterization using X‐ray and various spectroscopic techniques, reveals critical insights into the role of the Zr matrix and Cu sites in CO2reduction, benchmarking PCN‐222(Cu) for MOF‐based SAC electrocatalysis.
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Rapid Exciton Transport and Structural Defects in Individual Porphyrinic Metal Organic Framework Microcrystals
To date, spectroscopic characterization of porphyrin-based metal organic frameworks (MOFs) has relied almost exclusively on ensemble techniques, which provide only structurally averaged insight into the functional properties of these promising photochemical platforms. This work employs time-resolved pump–probe microscopy to probe ultrafast dynamics in PCN-222 MOF single crystals. The simultaneous high spatial and temporal resolution of the technique enables the correlation of spectroscopic observables to both inter- and intracrystal structural heterogeneity. The pump–probe measurements show that significant differences in the excited state lifetime exist between individual PCN-222 crystals of an ensemble. On a single PCN-222 crystal, differences in excited state lifetime and photoluminescence quantum yield are found to correlate to microscale structural defects introduced at crystallization. Pump probe microscopy also enables the direct measurement of excited state transport. Imaging of exciton transport on individual MOF crystals reveals rapid, but subdiffusive exciton transport which slows on the 10s of ps time scale. Time-averaged exciton diffusion coefficients over the first 200 ps span a range of 0.27 to 1.0 cm2/s, indicating that excited states are rapidly transported through the porphyrin network of PCN-222 before being trapped. Together, these single-particle-resolved measurements provide important new insight into the role played by structural defects on the photochemical functionality of porphyrin-based MOFs.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2154448
- PAR ID:
- 10492123
- Publisher / Repository:
- American Chemical Society
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of the American Chemical Society
- Volume:
- 146
- Issue:
- 7
- ISSN:
- 0002-7863
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 4309 to 4313
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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