Novel room-temperature synthesis of pioneering CsPbX₃@(Ce)UiO-66-Y hybrid nanomaterials for boosted photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Perovskites are attractive structures for photocatalytic hydrogen generation, but also are limited by low stability, which can be improved by combination with other materials. Perovskite structures have potential for photocatalytic hydrogen generation; however, their practical application is hindered by inherent low stability. This limitation can be effectively mitigated through strategic combinations with complementary materials. Therefore, hybrids consisting of the perovskite CsPbX₃ (X = Br, I) and the metal–organic framework (Ce)UiO-66-Y (Y = H, Br, NH₂) were successfully synthesized for the first time, using a straightforward ligand-assisted reprecipitation synthesis at room temperature. To develop a room temperature synthesis for CsPbX₃@(Ce)UiO-66-Y hybrid nanomaterials, herein, we optimized the synthesis of perovskite firstly (considering factors such as the choice of solvents, the drying of stabilizers, and the purification) and then developed an efficient way to combine both materials. Six types of hybrid materials, differing in the type of perovskite and functional group in the MOFs linker, were synthesized by the introduction of MOFs powder into a solution containing perovskite precursors (CsX and PbX₂ in DMF stabilized by oleyamine and oleic acid) followed by antisolvent addition. We demonstrated that the hybrids containing perovskite in combination with MOF (Ce)UiO-66-NH₂ in a molar ratio of 13:1 exhibited significantly higher activity and twice as long reaction stability time compared to the individual components of the hybrids when tested separately. This outcome underscores the presence of a synergistic effect, highlighting the potential of these hybrid materials in catalyzing hydrogen generation.