Layered Co(OH)2 Deposited Polymeric Carbon Nitrides for Photocatalytic Water Oxidation

Here we report a facile impregnation synthesis of layered Co(OH)(2) deposited with g-C3N4 while the pH value is adjusted by using ammonia solution for photocatalytic water oxidation with UV-vis and visible light illumination. This surface modification not only accelerates the interface transfer rate of charge carriers but also reduces the excessive energy barrier for O-O formation, thus leading to enhanced reaction kinetics for photocatalytic water oxidation. The optimum oxygen evolution rates (OERs) of the Co(OH)(2)/g-C3N4 sample reached 27.4 and 7.1 mu mol h(-1) under UV-vis (lambda > 300 nm) and visible light (lambda > 420 nm) irradiation, which are 5.5 and 7 times faster than those for pristine g-C3N4, respectively. These results underline the possibility for the development of effective, robust, and earth-abundant WOCs for the promotion of water-splitting photocatalysis by sustainable g-C3N4 polymer photocatalysts.