Constructing Pd/2D-C3N4 composites for efficient photocatalytic H2 evolution through nonplasmon-induced bound electrons

As a kind of metal-free photocatalytic materials, carbon nitride has been widely applied in photocatalytic hydrogen (H-2 ) evolution, but the solar to hydrogen conversion efficiency is still not ideal. In this work, Pd nanocubes are anchored on 2D-C3N4 through a facile hydrothermal strategy to obtain better charge separation/ transfer efficiency, attributed to the excellent trapping capability for electrons and the energetic electrons via the interband transition of Pd nanocubes. The as-synthesized Pd/2D-C(3)N(4)composites exhibit superior and stable photocatalytic H-2 evolution performance, and 0.5% Pd/2D-C3N4 possesses the optimized activity with the H-2 evolution rate of 1208.6 mu mol g(-1)h(-1) . In addition, the apparent quantum efficiency for photocatalytic H-2 evolution is up to 3.8% at 420 nm. The increased photocatalytic activity may mainly benefit from the excellent charge separation/transfer efficiency caused by doping Pd nanocubes.