Plasmon-enhanced photocatalytic oxidative coupling of amines in the air using a delicate Ag nanowire@NH2-UiO-66 core-shell nanostructures

Abstract

MOF-based core-shell structures with high surface area, abundant active sites, and broad absorption bands are viable alternatives to traditional single-component photocatalysts. In this report, we describe the design and construction of delicate Ag nanowires@NH2-UiO-66 with a core-shell structure for use as photocatalysts in imine synthesis under light. The optimized composites exhibited 80% imine production, which was higher than both MOF and Ag NWs. The significant improvement in photocatalytic activity under light may be attributed to the plasmonic effect of silver nanowires and their core-shell structure, which promotes the separation of electron-hole pairs. Moreover, the photocatalytic activity of the core-shell nanostructure may provide valuable insight into the design and construction of MOF-based composite photocatalysts for oxidative coupling of amines.