Carbon nanotube/Bimetallic oxide-Copper-MOF (PdO-NiO-Cu-MOF-MWCNTs) composite for efficient hydrogen production from formic acid coupled with CO₂ utilization

Investigating new, effective, and useful catalysts continues to be a research and industrial need as the world's hunt for sustainable energy continues to grow. In particular, it has been demonstrated that metal-organic frameworks support the capture and electrochemical reversible reaction of CO₂-to-formic acid, with remarkable CO₂ capture capabilities. We present here the photocatalytic hydrogen production activity of a quaternary structure made up of bimetallic oxides, metal-organic frameworks, and carbon nanotubes. Comprehensive structure–performance correlations for the development of effective photocatalysts are provided by detailed characterization before and after catalysis. The best performance is shown by the quaternary composite, which achieves 99.9 % hydrogen selectivity with carbon dioxide capture and produces 21.2 mmol/g of hydrogen at a rate of 220 μmol/g/min. The present paper offers a promising approach to develop highly efficient and cost-effective low-dimensional photoelectrocatalysts for sustainable hydrogen production from formic acid with CO₂ capture, potentially tackling the challenges posed by the climate crisis.