High-Performance Photocatalytic Degradation of Aromatic Compounds Using Co-MOF-74/ZnIn2S4/CNF Aerogels with Enhanced Charge Separation and Photothermal Synergy

Abstract

Although photocatalytic degradation using semiconductor materials has been widely studied, there are still challenges such as slow reaction kinetics and complex synthesis process. To overcome these problems, Co-MOF-74@ZnIn2S4@CNF composite aerogel was developed in this study, which significantly improved the photocatalytic efficiency. This novel structure integrates three key functions: 1) the one-dimensional Co-MOF-74-NTs nanotube enhances carrier mobility based on its high aspect ratio; 2) the Co-MOF-74@ZnIn2S4 heterojunction facilitates charge separation for efficient generation of reactive oxygen species; 3) the porous cellulose aerogel promotes the adsorption of substrates and improves the photothermal effect due to its intrinsic thermal conductivity and insulation, and will facilitate effective charge separation. This combined functionality resulted in highly efficient degradation of paraxylene, with 91.6% of degradation efficiency and 68.79% of mineralization rate within 3h under simulated sunlight. Several experiments demonstrated that the Co-MOF-74@ZnIn2S4@CNF aerogel possessed strong stability and effective catalytic properties for a variety of aromatic compounds. This study introduces a new photocatalytic system combining heterogeneous structure and photothermal effect to enhance charge transfer, providing an efficient solution for photothermal-assisted Aromatic Compounds degradation.