Z-scheme LaCoO3/C3N5 for efficient full-spectrum light-simulated solar photocatalytic hydrogen generation

The development of photocatalysts with high activity and low cost is still a major challenge. Since its synthesis in 2019, C3N5 has become an emerging photocatalytic material and has been widely studied. In this work, we report on the preparation of LaCoO3/C3N5 nanosheets and the use of LaCoO3 instead of precious metals to improve photocatalytic hydrogen production activity. First, LaCoO3 was successfully prepared by the sol-gel method and then a series of high-efficiency Z-type LaCoO3/C3N5 heterojunction photocatalysts were synthesized by the solvothermal method. Various characterization techniques (XRD, FT-IR, SEM, TEM, EDS, XPS, UV-Vis DRS, BET, ESR) confirmed the formation between LaCoO3 nanoparticles and C3N5 nanosheet heterostructures and interface interactions. In the photocatalytic water split test, 50 wt% LaCoO3/C3N5 showed the highest photocatalytic activity of 956.11 mu mol h(-1) g(-1), which was 3.21 and 1.59 times that of LaCoO3 and C3N5, respectively. This work not only designs an inexpensive and efficient LaCoO3/C3N5 photocatalytic system for water splitting or other photocatalytic applications, but also provides ideas for constructing new material photocatalytic systems.

Automated summary

This work reports the preparation of LaCoO3/C3N5 nanosheets and the use of LaCoO3 instead of precious metals to enhance photocatalytic hydrogen production activity. Various characterization techniques confirmed the formation of heterostructures and interface interactions between LaCoO3 nanoparticles and C3N5 nanosheets. The LaCoO3/C3N5 photocatalyst showed the highest photocatalytic activity in the water split test. This study not only designs an inexpensive and efficient photocatalytic system, but also provides ideas for constructing new material photocatalytic systems.