Boosted charge separation in porphyrin-based MOFs/CdS photocatalyst via interfacial −N−Cd− bridge bond construction

The high interfacial charge transfer barrier has been a main thermodynamic obstacle for improving the catalytic efficiency of heterojunction materials. Optimizing the interfacial environment is an effective strategy to achieve high catalytic efficiency. Herein, the coordinate bond (−N−Cd−) is designed to connect the hafnium porphyrin−metal organic framework (HT) and CdS nanoparticles, which is systematically analyzed by the ¹H NMR, FTIR, Raman and DRS, respectively. The optimized 15HT _{1.5 H}/CdS ₆ composite featuring interfacial bridge bonds, exhibits an H ₂ production up to 11.9 mmol·g ⁻¹·h ⁻¹, which is 28.5, 52.8 and 7 times greater than pure CdS, HT _H, and mechanically mixed sample without interfacial chemical bonds connected, respectively. Mechanistic study suggests that the coordination bonds between HT and CdS serve as the directional carrier transfer bridges, significantly improving interfacial charge separation and chemical stability. Moreover, the formed Z-scheme charge transfer mechanism also endows the composite with high redox ability. This strategic construction of interfacial chemical bonds within heterojunction provides an effective pathway for improving interfacial charge transfer in the heterojunction photocatalysts.