Coupling P Nanostructures with P-Doped g-C₃N₄ As Efficient Visible Light Photocatalysts for H₂ Evolution and RhB Degradation

Abstract

Fabricating heterostructures to promote the charge separation and doping heteroatom to modulate the band gap of the photocatalysts have been regarded as effective strategies to improve the photocatalytic performance. However, it is still an unresolved issue of doping element and fabricating heterostructures with good contact at the same time. In this study, P nanostructures/P doped graphitic carbon nitride composites (P@P-g-C3N4) were successfully composited by a solid reaction route. Various structural characterizations, including X-ray adsorption near edge structure, indicate that P has been doped into g-C3N4 and P nanostructures were directly grown on g-C3N4 to form heterostructures. As expected, the intimate contacted heterostructured composites exhibit much enhanced light absorption and high-efficiency transfer and separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs, and consequently, the composites also possess the superior photocatalytic performance in the rapidly degrading RhB and an efficient H2 production rate of 941.80 μmolh–1g–1. Systematical studies combining experimental measurements with theoretical calculations were carried out to expound the underlying reasons behind the distinct performance. This study pave a one-step way to synthesize earth abundant element C, N, and P as novel photocatalysts for photochemical applications.