Efficient Photocatalytic Overall Water Splitting Induced by the Giant Internal Electric Field of a g‐C3N4/rGO/PDIP Z‐Scheme Heterojunction

• Published in: Advanced materials (Weinheim) Vol. 33; no. 7
• Main Authors: Chen, Xianjie, Wang, Jun, Chai, Yongqiang, Zhang, Zijian, Zhu, Yongfa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01-02-2021
• Subjects: Carbon nitride; Charge efficiency; Charge transfer; Diimide; Efficiency; Electric fields; Energy conversion efficiency; graphitic carbon nitride; Heterojunctions; Hydrogen-based energy; Materials science; overall water splitting; perylene diimide polymer; Photocatalysis; Quantum efficiency; Water splitting; Z‐scheme heterostructures
• ISSN: 0935-9648; 1521-4095
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.202007479

A graphitic carbon nitride/rGO/perylene diimide polymer (g‐C3N4/rGO/PDIP) Z‐scheme heterojunction is successfully constructed to realize high‐flux charge transfer and efficient photocatalytic overall water splitting. A giant internal electric field in the Z‐scheme junction is built, enabling the charge separation efficiency to be enhanced dramatically by 8.5 times. Thus, g‐C3N4/rGO/PDIP presents an efficient and stable photocatalytic overall water splitting activity with H2 and O2 evolution rate of 15.80 and 7.80 µmol h−1, respectively, ≈12.1 times higher than g‐C3N4 nanosheets. Meanwhile, a notable quantum efficiency of 4.94% at 420 nm and solar‐to‐hydrogen energy‐conversion efficiency of 0.30% are achieved, prominently surpassing many reported g‐C3N4‐based photocatalysts. Briefly, this work throws light on enhancing the internal electric field by interface control to dramatically improve the photocatalytic performance.
A graphitic carbon nitride/reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/perylene diimide polymer (PDIP) Z‐scheme heterojunction is successfully constructed to realize high‐flux charge transfer and efficient photocatalytic overall water splitting under visible‐light irradiation. A notable quantum efficiency of 4.94% at 420 nm and solar‐to‐hydrogen energy‐conversion efficiency of 0.30% are achieved, prominently surpassing many reported g‐C3N4‐based photocatalysts.