Nonaqueous synthesis of metal cyanamide semiconductor nanocrystals for photocatalytic water oxidation

Abstract

Herein, we report nonaqueous synthesis of metal cyanamide semiconductor nanocrystals, including Ag₂NCN nanorods (NRs), ZnNCN NRs and PbNCN nanoparticles. The as-prepared Ag₂NCN NRs with a band gap of 2.35 eV are applied as photocatalysts for water oxidation. Their oxygen evolution rate (280.7 μmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹) is much higher than that of Ag₂NCN microcrystals (24.0 μmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹).