Issue 42, 2021

K+, Ni and carbon co-modification promoted two-electron O2 reduction for photocatalytic H2O2 production by crystalline carbon nitride

Abstract

H2O2 has a wide range of uses as an oxidant and is also utilized as a high density and environmentally friendly fuel. In this study, crystalline g-C3N4 was modified with K+, Ni and N-doped carbon by thermal-polymerization of Ni2+-anchored and polyvinyl pyrrolidone-encapsulated melamine-cyanuric acid supramolecules, followed by re-calcination in a KCl–LiCl mixture. The obtained strip-like g-C3N4 nanocrystals exhibited high charge separation efficiency and good light absorption capability. Density-functional theory calculations confirmed that the orbital hybridization of Ni–N atoms enabled the formation of charge-transfer channels, which can capture electrons, achieve enhanced oxygen adsorption and reduction via a two-electron pathway. Under the synergistic effects of K+, Ni and N-doped carbon dopants and crystallinity, the obtained sample exhibited high photocatalytic H2O2 yields of 79.6 μM in O2-saturated pure water, which was 10-fold higher than the yield using pristine g-C3N4. This work provides a novel design for production of highly efficient photocatalysts for H2O2 production.

Graphical abstract: K+, Ni and carbon co-modification promoted two-electron O2 reduction for photocatalytic H2O2 production by crystalline carbon nitride

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
15 Aug 2021
Accepted
18 Oct 2021
First published
19 Oct 2021

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2021,9, 24056-24063

K+, Ni and carbon co-modification promoted two-electron O2 reduction for photocatalytic H2O2 production by crystalline carbon nitride

Y. Chen, X. Yan, J. Xu and L. Wang, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2021, 9, 24056 DOI: 10.1039/D1TA06960H

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