Facet-Controlled MIL-125-NH 2 Nanocrystals for Photocatalytic Oxidative Desulfurization

MIL-125-NH 2 nanocrystals were synthesized in different shapes including tetragonal plate, octahedron, and rhombic dodecahedron that is enclosed by the facets of {001}, {111}, and {110}, respectively. The structure, photophysical and photoelectrochemical properties of these shape-controlled MIL-125-NH 2 nanocrystals were characterized. These MIL-125-NH 2 nanocrystals demonstrate significant facet-dependent catalytic activity towards the visible-light driven photocatalytic oxidative desulfurization (PODS) reaction. The rhombic dodecahedron (RD) nanocrystals with exposed high-energy {110} facets exhibit much enhanced photocatalytic performance than the others. This superior catalytic activity can be ascribed to the high content of Ti-oxo clusters on {110} crystal facets that provide rich surface active sites for photocatalysis.