Rhodamine B degradation by nanosized zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8).

Adsorption and photodegradation of rhodamine B by ZIF-8 nanocrystals were studied using spectroscopic techniques coupled with density functional theory (DFT) cluster calculations. A fast adsorption rate was observed in the dark, but upon exposure to visible light or UV irradiation the adsorption rate noticeably increased. Although several studies previously reported this phenomenon involving bulk ZIF-8 powder, this is the first mechanistic study to our knowledge that demonstrates adsorption and degradation of rhodamine B by nanosized ZIF-8 under various light conditions.