Jianjian Yi

A silver on 2D white-C3N4 support photocatalyst for mechanistic insights: synergetic utilization of plasmonic effect for solar hydrogen evolution

A photocatalyst integrating silver surface plasmon effect into two-dimensional g-C3N4 nanosheets (2D white-C3N4) was prepared successfully. The crystal structure, chemical states, morphology and photocatalytic performance of the prepared samples were researched by the comprehensive characterization methods. The photocatalytic activities of Ag/2D white g-C3N4 composites were dramatically enhanced under visible light irradiation. When Ag content was optimized, 2% Ag/white g-C3N4 exhibited the best photocatalytic activity. The electrochemical investigation verified the role of the hot electrons from the plasmonic Ag in the photocatalytic reaction. The plasmonic hot electron injection and advantages of 2D ultrathin structure improved the density of the electrons with reducibility and led to more efficient separation of photogenerated electron and hole pairs. The photocatalytic mechanism was also researched in detail via ESR analysis.