Trinuclear Fe Clusters for Highly Efficient CO2 Photoreduction

Photocatalytic reduction of CO2 into valuablechemicalsor fuels is considered a promising solution to mitigate the energycrisis. In this work, efficient CO2 to CO conversion wasachieved, accompanied by a class of trinuclear Fe clusters as photocatalysts.Under optimal conditions, the highest catalytic rate could be up to140.9 mu mol/h in 6 h with the assistance of photosensitizers(PS). The trinuclear Fe Clusters can be used as secondary buildingunits to construct Fe-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs).However, the catalytic activity of Fe-based MOFs is weaker than thatof clusters in both the cases of extra PS-assisted MOFs and integratedPS into MOFs. The simpler synthesis, lower cost, and higher catalyticactivity make the Fe clusters a better catalyst. Additionally, steady-statefluorescence tests confirmed the transfer of photogenerated electronsfrom PS to the clusters during the photocatalytic reaction.