Enhanced Photocatalytic Water Splitting in a C2N Monolayer by C-Site Isoelectronic Substitution

Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors have shown great promise as efficient photocatalysts for water splitting. Tailoring the band gap and band edge positions are the most crucial steps to further improve the photocatalytic activity of 2D materials. Here, we report an improved photocatalytic water splitting activity in a C2N monolayer by isoelectronic substitutions at the C-site, based on density functional calculations. Our optical calculations show that the isoelectronic substitutions significantly reduce the band gap of the C2N monolayer and thus strongly enhance the absorption of visible light, which is consistent with the observed redshift in the optical absorption spectra. Based on the HSE06 functional, the calculated band edge positions of C2-xSixN and C2-xGexN monolayers are even more favorable than the pristine C2N monolayer for the overall photocatalytic activity. On the other hand, for the C2-xSnxN monolayer, the conduction band minima is more positive than the oxygen reduction potential and, hence, Sn substitution in C2N is unfavorable for the water decomposition reaction. In addition, the isoelectronic substitutions improve the separation of e(-)-h(+) pairs, which, in turn, suppress the recombination rate, thereby leading to enhanced photocatalytic activity in this material. Our results imply that Si-, and Ge-substituted C2N monolayers will be a promising visible-light photocatalysts for water splitting.