Noble metal-free Ni(OH)(2)-g-C3N4 composite photocatalyst with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic H-2-production activity

Ni(OH)(2)-modified graphitic carbon nitride (Ni(OH)(2)-g-C3N4) composite photocatalysts were prepared by a simple precipitation method using g-C3N4 as support and nickel nitrate as precursor. The effect of Ni(OH)(2) content on the rate of visible-light photocatalytic H-2-production was studied for a series of Ni(OH)(2)-g-C3N4 composite samples in triethanolamine aqueous solutions. The results demonstrated that Ni(OH)(2) was an efficient co-catalyst for the photocatalytic H-2 production of g-C3N4. The optimal Ni(OH)(2) loading was found to be 0.5 mol%, giving a H-2-production rate of 7.6 mu mol h(-1) (with an apparent quantum efficiency (QE) of 1.1% at 420 nm), which approached that of optimal 1.0 wt% Pt/ g-C3N4 (8.2 mu mol h(-1)). This work showed the possibility for the utilization of low cost Ni(OH)(2) as a substitute for noble metals (such as Pt) in the photocatalytic H-2 production for g-C3N4.