Facile fabrication of CdS-metal-organic framework nanocomposites with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity for organic transformation

Visible-light-initiated organic transformations have received much attention because of low cost, relative safety, and environmental friendliness. In this work, we report on a novel type of visible-light-driven photocatalysts, namely, porous nanocomposites of CdS-nanoparticle-decorated metal-organic frameworks (MOF), prepared by a simple solvothermal method in which porous MIL-100(Fe) served as the support and cadmium acetate (Cd(Ac)₂) as the CdS precursor. When the selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde is used as the probe reaction, the results show that the combination of MIL-100(Fe) and CdS semiconductor can remarkably enhance the photocatalytic efficiency at room temperature, as compared to that of pure CdS. The enhanced photocatalytic performance can be attributed to the combined effects of enhanced light absorption, more efficient separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, and increased surface area of CdS due to the presence of MIL-100(Fe). This work demonstrates that MOF-based composite materials hold great promise for applications in the field of solar-energy conversion into chemical energy.