Carbon Dots Anchoring Single-Atom Pt on C3N4 Boosting Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Abstract

Carbon nitride (C₃N₄) has gained considerable attention and has been regarded as an ideal candidate for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. However, its photocatalytic efficiency is still unsatisfactory due to the rapid recombination rate of photo-generated carriers and restricted surface area with few active sites. Herein, we successfully synthesized a single-atom Pt cocatalyst-loaded photocatalyst by utilizing the anchoring effect of carbon dots (CDs) on C₃N₄. The introduction of CDs onto the porous C₃N₄ matrix can greatly enhance the specific surface area of C₃N₄ to provide more surface-active sites, increase light absorption capabilities, as well as improve the charge separation efficiency. Notably, the functional groups of CDs can efficiently anchor the single-atom Pt, thus improving the atomic utilization efficiency of Pt cocatalysts. A strong interaction is formed via the connection of Pt-N bonds, which enhances the efficiency of photogenerated electron separation. This unique structure remarkably improves its H₂ evolution performance under visible light irradiation with a rate of 15.09 mmol h^-1 g^-1. This work provides a new approach to constructing efficient photocatalysts by using CDs for sustainable hydrogen generation, offering a practical approach to utilizing solar energy for clean fuel production.