Monitoring the Stability of Porous Coordination Cages during the Photoreduction of Porous Salt Thin Films

This study investigates the photochemical properties and stability of zirconium-based porous salts composed of coordination cages and redox-active polyoxometalates (POMs). While bulk porous salts demonstrated photoreduction confined to surface regions due to limited light penetration and scattering effects, thin films of cage-POM assemblies were fabricated to address these challenges. These optically transparent films allowed access to the catalyst core, enabling enhanced photochemical characterization. Comparative studies revealed that the thin films exhibited superior photochemical activity and maintained porosity under optimized conditions, whereas bulk powders suffered from surface-limited photoreduction and cage decomposition. This work highlights the utility of thin films as a platform for studying and advancing the photochemical applications of porous salts.