Step-by-Step Growth of HKUST-1 on Functionalized TiO2 Surface: An Efficient Material for CO2 Capture and Solar Photoreduction

The present study reports on a simple preparation strategy of a hybrid catalyst, TiO2/HKUST-1, containing TiO2 anatase nanoparticles (NPs) with tailored morphology and photocatalytic activity coupled with a porous metal-organic framework (MOF), namely HKUST-1, as an advanced material for the CO2 photocatalytic reduction. In detail, TiO2/HKUST-1 catalyst was prepared via an easy slow-diffusion method combined with a step-by-step self-assembly at room temperature. The growth of crystalline HKUST-1 onto titania surface was achieved by functionalizing TiO2 nanocrystals, with phosphoesanoic acid (PHA), namely TiO2-PHA, which provides an intimate contact between MOF and TiO2. The presence of a cr…