Visible-light-active g-C3N4/N-doped Sr2Nb2O7 heterojunctions as photocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction

Shiba P. Adhikari, Zachary D. Hood, Vincent W. Chen, Karren L. More, Keerthi Senevirathne, Abdou Lachgar

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

47 Scopus citations

Abstract

Different visible-light-active g-C3N4/nitrogen-doped Sr2Nb2O7 heterojunction photocatalysts were fabricated by deposition of graphitic carbon nitride over N-doped strontium pyro-niobate prepared by ammonolysis at different temperatures of solvothermally synthesized Sr2Nb2O7 nanorods. Their photocatalytic performance was determined by the amount of hydrogen generated from water reduction under visible light irradiation. The best performing heterojunction was found to be the one formed by g-C3N4 and N-doped Sr2Nb2O7 obtained at 700 °C. The enhanced activity of the heterojunction can be explained by better charge separation due to proper bands alignment and intimate contact between the heterojunction components as revealed by electron microscopy. A mechanism for the observed enhanced photocatalytic activity is proposed and supported by band position calculations and photoluminescence data.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2507-2515
Number of pages9
JournalSustainable Energy and Fuels
Volume2
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - 2018

Funding

This research was supported by the Wake Forest University Center for Energy, Environment, and Sustainability and by NSF MRI 1040264. Support from the WFU Science Research Fund is also acknowledged. The authors would like to thank Dr Scott Geyer and Hui Li from the Department of Chemistry at WFU for their assistance with the collection of DRS and EIS data. A portion of this research was completed at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, which is a DOE Office of Science User Facility. ZDH gratefully acknowledges a Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation (No. DGE-1650044) and the Georgia Tech-ORNL Fellowship.

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