Nanoscale Janus Z-Scheme Heterojunction for Boosting Artificial Photosynthesis.

Artificial photosynthesis for CO2 reduction coupled with water oxidation currently suffers from low efficiency due to inadequate interfacial charge separation of conventional Z-scheme heterojunctions. Herein, an unprecedented nanoscale Janus Z-scheme heterojunction of CsPbBr3 /TiOx is constructed for photocatalytic CO2 reduction. Benefitting from the short carrier transport distance and direct contact interface, CsPbBr3 /TiOx exhibits significantly accelerated interfacial charge transfer between CsPbBr3 and TiOx (8.90 × 108 s-1 ) compared with CsPbBr3 :TiOx counterpart (4.87 × 107 s-1 ) prepared by traditional electrostatic self-assembling. The electron consumption rate of cobalt doped CsPbBr3 /TiOx can reach as high as 405.2 ± 5.6 µmol g-1 h-1 for photocatalytic CO2 reduction to CO coupled with H2 O oxidation to O2 under AM1.5 sunlight (100 mW cm-2 ), over 11-fold higher than that of CsPbBr3 :TiOx , and surpassing the reported halide-perovskite-based photocatalysts under similar conditions. This work provides a novel strategy to boost charge transfer of photocatalysts for enhancing the performance of artificial photosynthesis.

A series of two-dimensional lanthanide coordination polymers: synthesis, structures, magnetism and selective luminescence detection for heavy metal ions and toxic solvents.

A series of two-dimensional (2D) coordination polymers (CPs), namely poly[[bis(µ-acetato)diaqua(µ6-biphenyl-3,3',5,5'-tetracarboxylato)bis(N,N-dimethylacetamide)digadolinium(III)] N,N-dimethylacetamide monosolvate], {[Gd2(C16H6O8)(C2H3O2)2(C4H9NO)2(H2O)2]·C4H9NO}n (CP1), poly[[bis(µ-acetato)diaqua(µ6-biphenyl-3,3',5,5'-tetracarboxylato)bis(N,N-dimethylacetamide)didysprosium(III)] N,N-dimethylacetamide monosolvate], {[Dy2(C16H6O8)(C2H3O2)2(C4H9NO)2(H2O)2]·C4H9NO}n (CP2), poly[bis(µ-acetato)diaqua(µ6-biphenyl-3,3',5,5'-tetracarboxylato)bis(N,N-dimethylacetamide)dineodymium(III)], [Nd2(C16H6O8)(C2H3O2)2(C4H9NO)2(H2O)2]n (CP3), poly[bis(µ-acetato)diaqua(µ6-biphenyl-3,3',5,5'-tetracarboxylato)bis(N,N-dimethylacetamide)disamarium(III)], [Sm2(C16H6O8)(C2H3O2)2(C4H9NO)2(H2O)2]n (CP4), has been synthesized from rigid biphenyl-3,3',5,5'-tetracarboxylic acid under solvothermal conditions. Their structures have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses, elemental analyses, IR spectra, powder X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analyses, and CP1-CP4 crystallize in the monoclinic space group P21/n. CP1-CP4 are isomorphous and feature similar 2D double layers, which are further extended via interlayer hydrogen-bonding interactions into a three-dimensional (3D) supramolecular structure. Hydrogen-bonding interactions between N,N-dimethylacetamide molecules and carboxylate O atoms strengthen the packing of the layers. The organic ligands interconnect with metal ions to generate 2D layered structures with a (4,4)-connected net having {44.62} topology. CP1 has been investigated for its magnetic properties and magnetic susceptibility measurements were carried out in the range 2.0-300 K. The results of the magnetic measurements show weak antiferromagnetic coupling between the GdIII ions in CP1. Moreover, the strong luminescence of CP2 and CP4 can be selectively quenched by the Fe3+ ion and toxic solvents (e.g. acetone).

Two novel lanthanide(III) organic frameworks based on a biphenyltetracarboxylate ligand: synthesis, structure and magnetic and luminescence properties.

Two new two-dimensional lanthanide coordination polymers, namely poly[[tetra-µ2-acetato-tetraaquabis(µ4-biphenyl-3,3',5,5'-tetracarboxylato)tetrakis(dimethylacetamide)tetraterbium(III)] pentahydrate], {[Tb4(C16H6O8)2(C2H3O2)4(C4H9NO)4(H2O)4]·5H2O}n, (1), and poly[[tetra-µ2-acetato-tetraaquabis(µ5-biphenyl-3,3',5,5'-tetracarboxylato)tetrakis(dimethylacetamide)tetraeuropium(III)] tetrahydrate], {[Eu4(C16H6O8)2(C2H3O2)4(C4H9NO)4(H2O)4]·4H2O}n, (2), have been synthesized from biphenyl-3,3',5,5'-tetracarboxylic acid (H4bpt) and Ln(NO3)3·6H2O (Ln = Tb and Eu) under solvothermal conditions. Single-crystal X-ray structure analysis shows that the two compounds are isostructural and crystallize in the monoclinic P21/n space group. The crystal structures are constructed from bpt4- ligands (as linkers) and {Ln2(µ2-CH3COO)2} building units (as nodes), which topological analysis shows to be a (4,6)-connected network with sql topology. Compounds (1) and (2) have been characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and fluorescence analysis in the solid state. In addition, a magnetic investigation shows the presence of antiferromagnetic interactions in compound (1).