Organic composite photocatalysts from g-C3N4 and a soluble dibenzothiophene-S,S′-dioxide-containing polymer for hydrogen evolution

Abstract

The possibility of enhancing the hydrogen evolution performance of g-C₃N₄ through constructing a heterojunction between g-C₃N₄ and metal oxides or sulfides has been exploited recently. Herein, we report the design of organic composite heterojunctions of g-C₃N₄ and a soluble dibenzothiophene-S,S-dioxide-containing polymer (PFSO). Constructing bulky heterojunctions by loading the soluble dibenzothiophene-S,S-dioxide-containing polymer on the surface of carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) nanosheets plays a significant role in enhancing their photocatalytic activity. Benefiting from the enhanced separation of photogenerated electrons and holes as well as a broadened light-absorption range of the heterojunction design, the composite of g-C₃N₄/PFSO-1 containing 1 wt% PFSO shows a high hydrogen evolution rate of 149 μmol h⁻¹, which is 30 times higher than that of bare g-C₃N₄. This study provides insight into fabricating high-performance polymer-heterojunction photocatalysts for H₂ production.