Carbon nitride (C3N3) decorated with non-noble metal Ni2P Co-catalyst based nanocomposites for photocatalytic water splitting

Carbon nitrides based 2D materials have been recently explored as visible light harvesting photocatalysts due to their unique optoelectronic properties. However, these materials require strategies to improve their photoconversion efficiencies by improving the separation of photoexcited charge carriers and minimizing their recombination. Here in this paper, we report the synthesis of 2D carbon nitride with formula C3N3 decorated with non-noble metal nickel phosphide (Ni2P) co-catalyst-based nanocomposites (Ni2P/C3N3) for the enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting. The ratio of Ni2P co-catalyst was varied from 1%, 2% and 3% in the nanocomposites. Under similar set of experimental conditions, the 2% Ni2P co-catalyst loaded photocatalyst (2% Ni2P/C3N3) showed significant enhancement in the photocurrent (43 mu A/cm2) in comparison to the pristine C3N3 (23 mu A/cm2) under 1 sun light irradiation. In addition, the 2% Ni2P/C3N3 photocatalyst exhibited enhanced H2 production rate (148 mu mol h-1 g-1) than pure C3N3 (60 mu mol h-1 g-1). In addition, the 2% Ni2P/C3N3 nanocomposites demonstrated higher photostability. The H2 production rate was almost the same after eight cycles conducted within 65 h of time. Moreover, Ni2P/C3N3 nanocomposites are low cost, naturally abundant and environmentally friendly.

Automated summary

In this study, non-noble metal nickel phosphide (Ni2P) based nanocomposites were synthesized to enhance the efficiency of photoelectrochemical water splitting. The nanocomposites showed higher photocurrent, H2 production rate, and photostability compared to the pristine carbon nitride.