Abstract
This work aims at depositing high-crystallinity NiOx nanoparticles on the surface of graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN) nanosheets to improve light-driven hydrogen (H-2) generation. Notably, assisted by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we can discover that the solvothermal-processed NiOx nanoparticles attached over g-CN possess a great crystallinity with a diameter size of approx. 3-5 nm. As a result, the NiOx-nanoparticle loading can obviously enhance the H-2 evolution rate (HER) of g-CN from 0 to 307 mu Mol h(-1) g(-1) under irradiation of AM1.5 spectra. Meanwhile, the apparent quantum efficiencies (AQE) at 400 nm can even approach the superior 1.5%. What's more, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transient ab- sorption (TA) spectra contribute to propose that the photogenerated electrons can first reduce Ni3+ into metallic nickel (Ni-0), and then the H+ prefers to be reduced on the surface of Ni2+/Ni-0 sites. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Elsevier