Two-dimensional sulfur- and chlorine-codoped g-C3N4/CdSe-amine heterostructures nanocomposite with effective interfacial charge transfer and mechanism insight

The poor utilization of visible light and the speedy recombination of photoexcited carriers limit the further development of carbon nitride polymer (CN) photocatalysts. It is a valid means for enhancing the photocatalytic ability to ameliorate the electronic and physicochemical properties via modifying the structure of CN. The sulfurand chlorine-codoped graphite CN (S/Cl-CN) was successfully fabricated with low-cost ammonium chloride and thiourea as precursors. The introduction of Cl atoms will establish interlayer channels to promote interlayer charge migration and up-shifted conduction-band level. S atom is appropriate to be incorporated into the CN framework to replace N atom, which is beneficial to adjust the band gap. Then, inorganic-organic CdSe-diethylenetriamine (D) grown in situ are employed to fabricate a S/Cl-CN/CdSe-D heterojunction. S/Cl-CN/CdSe-D heterojunction exhibits greater hydrogen evolution activity compared to CN, S-CN, Cl-CN, S/Cl-CN, CdSe-D and CN/CdSe-D. Finally, Step-scheme (S-scheme) photocatalytic mechanism based on S/Cl-CN/CdSe-D heterostructure was proposed.

Automated summary

This study successfully fabricated sulfur and chlorine codoped graphite CN (S/Cl-CN) and constructed a S/Cl-CN/CdSe-D heterojunction, which exhibits enhanced photocatalytic activity. The introduction of S and Cl atoms improves interlayer charge migration capability, while the substitution of S atom for N atom helps adjust the band gap.