Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) with tunable structures and high surface areas offer a versatile platform for photocatalyst design. Herein, we report a node engineering strategy by incorporating ferrocenecarboxylic acid (Fca) and ferroceneacetic acid (Fcaa) in situ into MOF-545 via stable Zr–O coordination bonds, aiming to enhance its CO2 photoreduction performance. The structural and chemical properties of the resulting MOF-545-Fca and MOF-545-Fcaa were systematically characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and other techniques, confirming the successful incorporation of ferrocene without disrupting MOF’s crystalline structure. The introduction of ferrocene constructs a potential dual-channel electron transfer pathway, extending the light-harvesting range, accelerating interfacial electron transport, and suppressing photogenerated electron–hole recombination. The synthesized MOF-545-Fcaa exhibits the highest CO production rate of 940.2 μmol·g–1·h–1, which is 1.88 times and 16.1 times higher than that of MOF-545 (500.7 μmol·g–1·h–1) and pristine MOF-545 without Fe center (58.4 μmol·g–1·h–1), respectively. In-situ attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy reveals the reaction pathway. This work demonstrates the effectiveness of ferrocene-based node engineering in optimizing MOF photocatalysts, providing valuable insights into the rational design of high-performance materials for CO2 photoreduction and sustainable energy conversion.
Li et al. (2026) studied this question.