Innovative phthalocyanine-based MOF/TiO2 composite for light-driven photocatalysis

A novel phthalocyanine-based MOF (PcM) material was synthesized by the solvothermal method, and a novel binary composite catalyst phthalocyanine-based MOF/TiO2 (PcMT) was synthesized by loading its TiO2 on a PcM. This composite material combines the excellent conductivity and multiple active sites of PcM, as well as the high stability and photocatalytic activity of TiO2, thus demonstrating unique application potential in the fields of photocatalysis. It was systematically characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and N-2 adsorption desorption. Excellent photocatalytic effects were against rhodamine B (RhB) and tetracycline (TC) under UV lamp irradiation. The highest degrading efficiency of 94% for RhB and 84% for TC within 150 min of the PcMT composite was displayed when compared to pristine TiO2 and PcM. It can be demonstrated that TiO2 has a high dispersibility and works synergistically with PcM to generate an efficient photocatalyst for the destruction of organic contaminants in UV lamp irradiation, increasing the photocatalytic efficiency. In addition, the composites exhibit good stability and recyclability due to the axial coordination of the central metal of PcM and Zr, with 4-carboxyphthalocyanine and immobilization on the TiO2 surface. This study provides a new strategy for the preparation of efficient light-driven photocatalytic materials.