The in situ photodeposition fabrication of a NixCoy/g-C3N4 photocatalyst for efficient catalytic hydrogen generation

Abstract

In this work, we have prepared noble-metal-free NiCo/g-C₃N₄ photocatalysts via an in situ photoreduction method. The Ni₂₃Co₁/g-C₃N₄ photocatalyst showed excellent photocatalytic performance under visible light irradiation with a high H₂ generation rate of up to 554 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹, 146 and 2.6 times higher than pure g-C₃N₄ (3.8 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹) and 0.5 wt% Pt/CN (216 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹), respectively. PL spectra, UV-vis spectra, and photoelectrochemical measurements show that the NiCo bimetal can promote the charge separation of g-C₃N₄, enhance the absorption capacity for visible light, and improve the hydrogen evolution activity. Therefore, our work provides a feasible solution for the rational construction of g-C₃N₄-based photocatalysts via using a simple in situ photoreduction technique.