Phosphorus-doped polymeric carbon nitride nanosheets for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production

Yukun Zhu,Pingping Meng,Junming Cao,Chunxiao Lv,Gaolian Zhang,Shuchao Zhang,Guiqing Huang,Junzhi Li,Dongjiang Yang,Yan Xu,Tianrong Zhan

doi:10.1063/1.5143711

Abstract

Photocatalytic hydrogen production by water splitting is one of the most effective strategies for solar energy conversion and utilization. The metal-free polymeric carbon nitride (CN) has been widely used as an efficient photocatalyst for the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, to date, the solar to hydrogen conversion efficiency of the CN-based photocatalysts is still low. Herein, to boost the photocatalytic activity of CN, controllable phosphorus atoms were introduced to form P-doped CN (PCN) via an evacuated ampoule calcination strategy. Compared with bare CN, the optimized PCN exhibits remarkably enhanced photocatalytic HER activity, with the HER rate up to 261.2 µmol h−1 and 171.6 µmol h−1 under the simulated solar light and visible-light illumination, respectively. It was revealed that the boosted photocatalysis for HER is mainly ascribed to the P dopants that can synergetically increase the visible-light absorption and facilitate the charge transfer process. This present work highlights improving the photocatalytic energy conversion efficiency by controllable tuning of the heteroatom doping degree in photocatalysts.

Highlights

The P-doped CN (PCN) samples were synthesized from polymeric carbon nitride (CN) and amorphous phosphorus by an evacuated ampoule calcination method via manipulation of different parameters.26,27 First, the CN nanosheets synthesized from urea condensation were mixed with amorphous phosphorus powders with varying ratios of weight
It was revealed that the boosted photocatalysis for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is mainly ascribed to the P dopants that can synergetically increase the visible-light absorption and facilitate the charge transfer process
The PCN samples were synthesized from polymeric CN and amorphous phosphorus by an evacuated ampoule calcination method via manipulation of different parameters

Summary

Introduction

The PCN samples were synthesized from polymeric CN and amorphous phosphorus by an evacuated ampoule calcination method via manipulation of different parameters (such as the weight ratios and calcination temperature).26,27 First, the CN nanosheets synthesized from urea condensation were mixed with amorphous phosphorus powders with varying ratios of weight. To boost the photocatalytic activity of CN, controllable phosphorus atoms were introduced to form P-doped CN (PCN) via an evacuated ampoule calcination strategy.

Results

Conclusion