Helical Microporous Nanorods Assembled by Polyoxometalate Clusters for the Photocatalytic Oxidation of Toluene

Microporous materials are extensively used in catalysis due to their unique pore structures. Among them, microporous materials loaded with polyoxometalates (POMs) exhibit considerable potential for catalysis thanks to the combination of the outstanding redox-catalytic properties of POMs and the characteristics of microporous materials. Based on this, we developed a facile hydrothermal method to synthesize helical microporous nanorods (HMNRs) using POM clusters as building blocks, combining the properties of both POMs and microporous materials while circumventing the complicated loading process. The HMNRs show an enhanced photocatalytic performance for toluene oxidation. Comparatively high activity, superior selectivity towards benzaldehyde, and prominent cycling stability were achieved, manifesting a promising prospect for a future application in photocatalysis.