Constructing electron transfer bridge of Pr doping MIL-125(Ti) for high-efficient photoreduction CO2

MIL-125(Ti) is well known for having stable structure, tunable electron structure, and multiple active sites, which is commonly studied in the field of photocatalysis. In this work, a series of rare earth (RE) doped MIL-125(Ti) (RE=Ce, Pr, Tm, Dy, Eu, and Sm) are prepared via the one-step hydrothermal method. Notably, Pr-MIL-125 displays a significantly enhanced catalytic performance than other RE-doped MIL-125, resulting in a maximal CO and CH₄ yield of 13.30 and 0.87 µmol·g⁻¹·h⁻¹, respectively, which are 2.53-fold and 4.14-fold of the pristine MIL-125. The layered morphology endows Pr-MIL-125 with more active sites and facilitates the reaction of photoreduction CO₂. Furthermore, the promoted photoactivities attributed to Pr ion dopant can act as electron transfer bridge and suppress charge recombination. This work would provide insight and guidance for designing RE-MOF based photocatalysts and enhancing the performance of photoreduction CO₂.