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Research Article

van der Waals type II carbon nitride homojunctions for visible light photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Xiaojie Li1,2,§, Panpan Zhang1,§, Huayang Zhang1, Wenjie Tian1, Yangyang Yang1, Kunsheng Hu1, Dechao Chen3, Qin Li3, Xiaoguang Duan1, Hongqi Sun4( ), Shaobin Wang1( )
School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
Department of Chemical Engineering, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia
Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, School of Engineering and Built Environment, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia
School of Engineering, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia

§ Xiaojie Li and Panpan Zhang contributed equally to this work.

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Graphical Abstract

The conduction and valence bands separated in different layers endow van der Waals type II homojunction with excellent electron–hole separation and enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

Abstract

Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (PC-HER) provides a solution to energy crisis and environmental pollution. Herein, different graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4)-based van der Waals (vdW) type II homojunctions have been fabricated and g-C3N4/K-doped g-C3N4 nanosheets have an outstanding PC-HER rate of 1,243 μmol·h−1·g−1 under visible light, higher than that of bulk g-C3N4, doped g-C3N4 nanosheets, and mixed nanosheets. The enhanced PC-HER performance can be ascribed to the cooperative effects of the shortened bandgap, enlarged specific surface area, matched type II energy band structure, “face to face” vdW charge interaction, and peculiarly partite positions of the conduction and valence bands in different layers. Besides, the type II junctions were found superior to binary type II junction. This study highlights the synergistic effect of different strategies in improving the PC-HER capacities of g-C3N4, especially the application of particular vdW junctions, and provides new insights to the structures and mechanism.

Keywords

van der Waals junctiontype II junctionhydrogen evolutioncarbon nitridephotocatalyst

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Nano Research
Volume 16 Issue 4,
April 2023
Pages 5864-5872
DOI: 10.1007/s12274-021-3744-x
Cite this article:
Li X, Zhang P, Zhang H, et al. van der Waals type II carbon nitride homojunctions for visible light photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Nano Research, 2023, 16(4): 5864-5872. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-021-3744-x
Part of a topical collection:
Special Issue of Xiamen University Centennial CelebrationAccelerating clean energy innovations via nanotechnology toward achieving circular economy

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Received: 09 April 2021
Revised: 02 July 2021
Accepted: 15 July 2021
Published: 16 July 2021
© Tsinghua University Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2021
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