Environmentally friendly supermolecule self-assembly preparation of S-doped hollow porous tubular g-C3N4 for boosted photocatalytic H2 production

Abstract

Utilization of graphitic carbon nitride (g–C3N4)–based materials for photocatalytic hydrogen production to alleviate energy problems is a hot topic of research nowadays, thus the design and synthesis of highly efficient g-C3N4 materials remains a significant challenge. Herein, the sulphur-doped hollow porous tubular g-C3N4 (S-HPTCN) was successfully synthesized by a facile environmentally friendly supramolecule self-assembly strategy. Photocatalytic H2 evolution tests show that the as-prepared optimal S-HPTCN achieved a high H2 production of up to 22.04 mmol g−1 h−1 with the turnover frequency (TOF) of 429.7 h−1 and the apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) of as high as 7.8% at wavelength of 420 nm. The enhancement of remarkable photocatalytic H2 performance is mainly attributed to the synergetic effect of morphology and elemental doping. This research provides an effective design idea of developing high-efficient g–C3N4–based material for solar to hydrogen.