Introduction of a mediator for enhancing photocatalytic performance via post-synthetic metal exchange in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs).

Ti-substituted NH2-Uio-66(Zr/Ti) prepared by using a post-synthetic exchange (PSE) method showed enhanced photocatalytic performance for both CO2 reduction and hydrogen evolution under visible light. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and electron spin resonance (ESR) results reveal that the introduced Ti substituent acts as a mediator to facilitate electron transfer, which results in enhanced performance.