Constructing Z-scheme Fe3N/BiVO4 heterojunction via electrostatic self-assembly toward high visible-light photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Fe3N/BiVO4 nanocomposites without noble metals were synthesized by a simple electrostatic self-assembly method. The morphology, crystal structure, composition and properties of the samples were studied by XRD, SEM, TEM, UV-vis and XPS. Under visible light irradiation, the average hydrogen production efficiency of 9 wt% Fe3N/BiVO4 nanocomposites reached 1420.7 mu mol h-1 g-1, about 4 times than that of pure BiVO4. After four cycle experiments, the hydrogen production of 9 wt% Fe3N/BiVO4 is basically the same, indicating that the sample has good cycle stability. The enhancement of the activity and stability of the photocatalyst is mainly due to the fact that Fe3N is loaded on the surface of BiVO4, forming a Z-scheme heterojunction, which hinders the recombination of photogenerated electron hole pairs and greatly improves the separa-tion efficiency of charge carriers.(c) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Fe3N/BiVO4 nanocomposites without noble metals were synthesized by a simple electrostatic self-assembly method. The samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, UV-vis, and XPS to investigate their morphology, crystal structure, composition, and properties. The results showed that the nanocomposites exhibited higher hydrogen production efficiency and good cycle stability under visible light irradiation, which can be attributed to the formation of a Z-scheme heterojunction by loading Fe3N on the surface of BiVO4, thereby inhibiting the recombination of photogenerated electron hole pairs and improving the separation efficiency of charge carriers.