G-C3N4/CoAl-LDH 2D/2D hybrid heterojunction for boosting photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Abstract

In this work, a 2D/2D heterojunction composed of CoAl layered double hydroxide (LDH) and graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets (CNNS) was designed and fabricated for boosting photocatalytic hydrogen generation. The as-prepared 20 mol% CoAl-LDH/CNNS exhibited a remarkable photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate of 680.13 μmol h−1 g−1, which was 21 times higher than that of pure CoAl-LDH (32.91 μmol h−1 g−1). The enhanced activity could be mainly attributed to its unique structure and high surface area. Distinct from ordinary heterojunction photocatalysts, two-dimensional (2D) heterojunctions with abundant 2D coupling interfaces and strong interfacial interaction could efficiently suppress the recombination of photo-induced charge carriers and shorten charge transmission distance. Particularly, compared with other concentrations, the increased surface area (138.70 m2 g−1) of 20 mol% CoAl-LDH/CNNS, which is 3.94 times of pure CNNS (35.48 m2 g−1), is more favorable for enhanced photocatalytic activity. Increasing the surface area of sheet-on-sheet heterostructure is an effective and novel strategy to facilitate the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from water splitting.