Micro-tailored g-C3N4 enables Ru single-atom loading for efficient photocatalytic H2 evolution

Loading single atom (SA) cocatalysts onto semiconductors offers great potential for improving the photocatalytic performance. Here, we report a simple micro-tailoring strategy that cuts g-C3N4 into small pieces and oligomers. Defects, boundaries, dopants and terminal groups created could confine Ru SAs stably onto the framework, ensuring uniform dispersion of Ru SAs on the tailored g-C3N4. The as-prepared composite, the tailored g-C3N4 loaded with Ru SAs, showed a dramatic increase photocatalytic activity for H2 evolution (4052.1 mu mol h(-1) g(-1)) compared to the composite of the non-tailored g-C3N4 loaded with Ru (394.3 mu mol h(-1) g(-1)). The enhanced catalytic activity was achieved by the metal-support interaction between the Ru atoms and the tailored g-C3N4, which could manipulate local charge distribution, thus promoting the adsorption of intermediates and enabling efficient charge transfer. In addition, atomic Ru-sites could provide directional charge transfer channels and targeting sites to facilitate rapid photo-introduced charge transfer and water reduction reaction. The proposed strategy provides a facile and feasible way for the construction of atomically dispersed catalysts for efficient photocatalytic H-2 evolution and other reactions.

Automated summary

Loading single atom (SA) cocatalysts onto semiconductors offers great potential for improving photocatalytic performance. In this study, a simple micro-tailoring strategy was used to cut g-C3N4 into small pieces and oligomers, allowing stable confinement of Ru SAs onto the framework. The resulting composite showed significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity for H2 evolution, achieved through metal-support interaction and directional charge transfer.