Noble-metal-free CoxP nanoparticles: modified perovskite oxide ultrathin nanosheet photocatalysts with significantly enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity

Abstract

The integration of semiconductor-based photocatalysts with noble-metal-free cocatalysts has great significance for practical applications. In this work, for the first time, novel CoxP/K+Ca2Nb3O10− nanostructures (abbreviated as CoxP/KCNOus) were synthesized by integrating noble-metal-free CoxP nanoparticles onto the surface of K+Ca2Nb3O10− ultrathin nanosheets (abbreviated as KCNOus), and exhibited enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen generation. Under the irradiation of xenon light, the hydrogen generation rate of the resulting optimal CoxP/KCNOus reached up to 90.4 μmol g−1 h−1, approximately 5.78 times higher than that of single-component KCNOus. The apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) of CoxP/KCNOus is 1.32% at 350 nm. Based on photoluminescence (PL), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS), and photo-electrochemical analyses, possible reasons for this improved photocatalytic activity can be ascribed to the enhanced light absorption capacity and strong separation efficiency of photoinduced carriers over CoxP/KCNOus owing to the formation of the interfaces between KCNOus and CoxP nanoparticles. It is believed that this work will provide a new insight into the development ofefficient and low-cost noble-metal-free cocatalysts for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reactions.