Mechanochemical preparation and application of graphdiyne coupled with CdSe nanoparticles for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production

Graphdiyne (GDY) has attracted considerable attention as a new two-dimensional (2D) carbon hybrid material because of its good conductivity, adjustable electronic structure, and special elec-tron transfer enhancement properties. GDY has great potential in the field of photocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen evolution, owing to its unique properties. In this study, GDY was successfully prepared by the mechanochemical coupling of precursors C6Br6 and CaC2 using a ball-milling ap-proach. The prepared GDY, especially its microstructure and composition, was well characterized using different techniques such as X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier-transform infrared, and Raman characterization techniques. By exploiting the unique two-dimensional (2D) structure and outstanding light absorption properties of GDY, GDY/CdSe 2D/0D heterojunctions were successful-ly established and applied to photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. The hydrogen evolution activity of GDY/CdSe-20, a type of composite material, reached 6470 limol g-1 h-1, which is 461 and 40 times higher than that of GDY and CdSe, respectively. Moreover, the fine electrical conductivity of GDY enabled rapid and effective transfer of the photogenerated electrons in CdSe into the hydrogen evolution reaction. The transfer path of the photogenerated electrons was studied through XPS with in situ irradiation, and a reasonable mechanism for the hydrogen evolution reaction was proposed. This study provides a feasible approach for the large-scale preparation of GDY and demonstrates the prospects of GDY in the field of photocatalysis.(c) 2022, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Graphdiyne (GDY) is a promising two-dimensional carbon hybrid material with good conductivity and adjustable electronic structure. In this study, GDY was successfully prepared and characterized. By utilizing GDY's unique properties, GDY/CdSe heterojunctions were established and applied to photocatalytic hydrogen evolution, showing significantly enhanced activity compared to GDY and CdSe alone. The study provides a feasible approach for large-scale GDY preparation and demonstrates its potential in photocatalysis.