Issue 31, 2017

Ni12P5 nanoparticles embedded into porous g-C3N4 nanosheets as a noble-metal-free hetero-structure photocatalyst for efficient H2 production under visible light

Abstract

Transition metal phosphides (TMPs) have recently been thrust into the limelight as promising substitutes for precious noble metal-based cocatalysts for photocatalytic H2 evolution. Herein, colloidally synthesized Ni12P5 nanoparticles were successfully embedded into porous g-C3N4 nanosheets through a facile solution-phase approach under sonication. The as-prepared photocatalysts with an optimum 5 wt% anchoring of Ni12P5 (5NP-CN) displayed an excellent H2 production activity of 535.7 μmol g−1 h−1 under visible light irradiation. The high apparent quantum yield (AQY) of 4.67% at 420 nm was achieved in the 5NP-CN system for the production of H2, exceeding a large scientific spectrum of literature studies on the TMP-based catalysts. The superior photocatalytic H2 evolution of Ni12P5/g-C3N4 was predominantly attributed to the formation of intimate contact interfaces, in which Ni12P5 nanoparticles with high purity and good crystallinity were homogeneously embedded into the porous g-C3N4 nanosheets, thus facilitating the separation and transfer of photogenerated charge carriers. Meanwhile, a possible photocatalytic mechanism of Ni12P5/g-C3N4 hybrid nanocomposites was proposed and corroborated by photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and photoelectrochemical (PEC) results. As such, the present reported synthetic route to the g-C3N4-based photocatalysts incorporating Ni12P5 paves a new way for the advancement of g-C3N4 and a cornucopia of colloidal nanocrystals, which will be auspicious toward the nanoarchitecture engineering of noble-metal-free heterojunction interfaces for application in renewable energy production.

Graphical abstract: Ni12P5 nanoparticles embedded into porous g-C3N4 nanosheets as a noble-metal-free hetero-structure photocatalyst for efficient H2 production under visible light

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
03 יונ 2017
Accepted
03 יול 2017
First published
03 יול 2017

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2017,5, 16171-16178

Ni12P5 nanoparticles embedded into porous g-C3N4 nanosheets as a noble-metal-free hetero-structure photocatalyst for efficient H2 production under visible light

D. Zeng, W. Ong, H. Zheng, M. Wu, Y. Chen, D. Peng and M. Han, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2017, 5, 16171 DOI: 10.1039/C7TA04816E

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements