Silver nanoparticles embedded 2D g-C3N4 nanosheets toward excellent photocatalytic hydrogen evolution under visible light

Photocatalytic water splitting is considered to be a feasible method to replace traditional energy. However, most of the catalysts have unsatisfactory performance. In this work, we used a hydrothermal process to grow Ag nanoparticles in situ on g-C3N4 nanosheets, and then a high performance catalyst (Ag-g-C3N4) under visible light was obtained. The Ag nanoparticles obtained by this process are amorphous and exhibit excellent catalytic activity. At the same time, the local plasmon resonance effect of Ag can effectively enhance the absorption intensity of visible light by the catalyst. The hydrogen production rate promote to 1035 mu mol g(-1) h(-1) after loaded 0.6 wt% of Ag under the visible light, which was 313 times higher than that of pure g-C3N4 (3.3 mu mol g(-1) h(-1)). This hydrogen production rate is higher than most previously reported catalysts which loaded with Ag or Pt. The excellent activity of Ag-g-C3N4 is benefited from the Ag nanoparticles and special interaction in each other. Through various analysis and characterization methods, it is shown that the synergy between Ag and g-C3N4 can effectively promote the separation of carriers and the transfer of electrons. Our work proves that Ag-g-C3N4 is a promising catalyst to make full use of solar energy.

Automated summary

Photocatalytic water splitting is a feasible method to replace traditional energy. In this study, a high-performance catalyst (Ag-g-C3N4) was obtained by growing amorphous Ag nanoparticles in situ on g-C3N4 nanosheets through a hydrothermal process. The Ag-g-C3N4 catalyst exhibits excellent catalytic activity, which is attributed to the special interaction between Ag nanoparticles and g-C3N4. The hydrogen production rate of Ag-g-C3N4 is significantly higher than pure g-C3N4 and most previously reported catalysts loaded with Ag or Pt. Our work demonstrates the promising potential of Ag-g-C3N4 as a catalyst for utilizing solar energy.