Superior stability and photocatalytic activity of Ta3N5 sensitized/protected by conducting polymers for water splitting

Abstract

In the study, we used two conducting polymers, polyaniline (PANI) and polypyrrole (PPy), to sensitize Ta3N5, thereby enhancing its photocatalytic activity, and then applied this novel photocatalyst to overall water splitting to produce hydrogen and oxygen even under visible light irradiation. The two polymers increased the charge transfer efficiency, prevented the recombination of the generated electrons and holes of the Ta3N5 photocatalyst, and thereby enhanced its electron-hole separation efficiency and improved its photocatalytic activity for efficient visible light water splitting. The two polymers completely covering the Ta3N5 particles facilitated charge transfer for quick migration of the generated electrons and holes to the polymer surface and thus prevented contact between the holes and nitride of Ta3N5. Therefore, these conducting polymers also protected the Ta3N5 particles from self-photocorrosion during long-term water splitting. Because of the existence of the protonated nitrogen (-N+) state in PPy, the electric conductivity of PPy was lower than that of PANI, which lowered the sensitizing ability of PPy compared to that of PANI. Thus, the water splitting efficiency of Ta3N5/PANI was higher than that of Ta3N5/PPy. The production rates of H2 and O2 generated from water splitting of Ta3N5/PANI were 60.5 and 30.2 (μmol. g−1cat. h−1), respectively.