Interrupted Zeolitic Boron Imidazolate Framework with Open Metal Sites for Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction.

The photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) to chemicals holds significant importance for mitigating the current energy crisis. Rational design of catalytic centers within well-defined structures can effectively enhance the reaction activity and selectivity. In this study, we constructed interrupted zeolitic boron imidazolate frameworks (BIFs) featuring unsaturated coordination at the central Co ion. The gas adsorption measurement results indicate that BIF-92-Co(FA) modified with terminal formate ligand exhibits excellent stability and high porosity. In the photocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction, BIF-92-Co(FA) achieved a CO production rate of 3866.5 μmol g-1 h-1 and a selectivity of 87.8% for CO as the primary product. This work paves the way for the design and development of efficient catalysts through unsaturated metal sites.