A Flower‐like In2O3 Catalyst Derived via Metal–Organic Frameworks for Photocatalytic Applications

The most pressing concerns in environmental remediation are the design and development of catalysts with benign, low‐cost, and efficient photocatalytic activity. The present study effectively generated a flower‐like indium oxide (In2O3‐MF) catalyst employing a convenient MOF-based solvothermal self‐assembly technique. The In2O3‐MF photocatalyst exhibits a flower‐like structure, according to morphology and structural analysis. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the In2O3‐MF catalyst for 4‐nitrophenol (4‐NP) and methylene blue (MB) is likely due to its unique 3D structure, which includes a large surface area (486.95 m² g⁻¹), a wide spectrum response, and the prevention of electron–hole recombination compared to In2O3‐MR (indium oxide‐micro rod) and In2O3‐MD (indium oxide‐micro disc). In the presence of NaBH4 and visible light, the catalytic performances of the In2O3‐MF, In2O3‐MR, and In2O3‐MD catalysts for the reduction of 4‐NP and MB degradation were investigated. Using In2O3‐MF as a catalyst, we were able to achieve a 99.32 percent reduction of 4‐NP in 20 min and 99.2 percent degradation of MB in 3 min. Interestingly, the conversion rates of catalytic 4‐NP and MB were still larger than 95 and 96 percent after five consecutive cycles of catalytic tests, suggesting that the In2O3‐MF catalyst has outstanding catalytic performance and a high reutilization rate.