Conductive polymer mediated earth abundant Z-scheme g-C3N4/Fe2O3 heterostructure with excellent photocatalytic activity. Issue 37 (7th September 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, Yuxuan; Pan, Guang-Yu; He, Xiong; Li, Tao; Liu, Fu-Tian; Li, Kui
• Is Part Of: CrystEngComm. Volume 24:Issue 37(2022)
• Page Start: 6558
• Page End: 6563
• Publication Date: 2022-09-07
• Subjects: Crystals -- Periodicals; Crystal growth -- Periodicals; Crystallography -- Periodicals; Cristaux -- Périodiques; Cristaux -- Croissance -- Périodiques; Cristallographie -- Périodiques; 548
• DOI: 10.1039/d2ce01036d
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1466-8033

Abstract

Abstract : The ternary Z-scheme g-C3 N4 /PPy/Fe2 O3 heterostructure photocatalyst with excellent photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity was designed and fabricated with PPy supporting and confining the nanosized Fe2 O3 using a facile method. Abstract : Iron being the second most abundant metal on the surface of the earth (5.1%), size-confined iron-based photocatalysts are of particular importance for solar energy conversion. Herein, a ternary Z-scheme g-C3 N4 /PPy/Fe2 O3 heterostructure photocatalyst with PPy supporting and confining Fe2 O3 was designed and fabricated for hydrogen production using a facile method. The small particle size of Fe2 O3 (around 5 nm) improved the transport efficiency of charge carriers with the conductive PPy acting as a mediator, and the formation of the g-C3 N4 –Fe2 O3 Z-scheme heterostructure dramatically facilitated the photocatalytic activity. Consequently, the optimal g-C3 N4 –PPy–Fe2 O3 demonstrated an excellent photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity, which was 120, 6.4 and 4.8 times larger than that of the pristine g-C3 N4 and g-C3 N4 singly loaded separately with PPy and Fe2 O3, respectively, and exhibited considerable H2 and H2 O2 production activity even in the absence of a sacrificial agent.