Search

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is an organic semiconductor for photocatalysis. However, it still suffers from low surface area and rapid e–/h+ recombination, which limits its further activity enhancement. In this work, an atomically precise alkynyl- and phosphine-protected Ag33(4-MePhCC)22(Dppp)4 nanocluster is synthesized. It is facilely loaded onto g-C3N4 nanosheets by a one-step process. The resulting Ag33/g-C3N4 nanocomposite is thoroughly characterized. Its activity is evaluated in the photodegradation of methyl orange. Ag33/g-C3N4 has shown a 16-fold activity enhancement compared to pristine g-C3N4. The mechanism investigation using UV–vis/diffuse-reflectance spectroscopy spectra, photocurrent response, and Nyquist plots has revealed the origin of this superior performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Co II 18 L 6 hexameric metal-organic nanocapsule (MONC) has been prepared and characterized using biomimetic self-assembly as the synthetic methodology. Akin to the biological behavior of zinc-finger proteins' release, uptake, and electrophilic substitution of Zn 2+ ions, the assembly of this novel MONC has been accomplished by employing three sequential processes: assembly of the framework, metal ion insertion, and metal exchange, resulting in the formation of the Co II 18 L 6 hexameric MONC. In this work, inspired by the biological behavior of metalloproteins, rational control of multiple complex supramolecular self-assembly has been achieved.