Construction of organic inorganic hybrid composite derived from C3N5 incorporated with CeO2 for the enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Abstract

The concern regarding energy scarcity and environmental issues is effectively addressed by the photocatalytic hydrogen production. The effective combination among semiconductor materials is capable of preventing the exciton recombination, making it a method that is highly effective for enhancing photocatalytic activity. In this report, conjugated polymer encapsulated with metal oxide photocatalyst is synthesised using a simple exsitu synthesis method. The encapsulation of polymer with CeO2 nanoparticles results in exceptional performance in H2 production, as the samples exhibit improved visible light absorption and a significant increase in charge transfer efficiency. This is accredited to the high charge transfer and reduced recombination in the composite. The efficient transfer of photogenerated holes has resulted in a substantial decline in the recombination rate of excitons, and the rate of photocatalytic H2 production has been substantially enhanced. The results indicated that the hydrogen evolution of 10 wt.% CeO2/C3N5 composites was 1256 μmol/g/h, whereas C3N5 was 125 μmol/g/h. The electrochemical analysis showed that the optimised composites have low electron hole recombination rate and improved visible light absorption, thereby exhibiting excellent photocatalytic activity. It is noteworthy that the proposed research is the first study to report on the hydrogen evolution via photocatalysis using CeO2/C3N5 composites. Consequently, this research offers a new perspective on the design of organic inorganic heterostructures and will provide a novel pathway to their catalytic capabilities.