Abstract
2D/2D interface heterostructures of g-C3N4 and NiAl-LDH are synthesized utilizing strong electrostatic interactions between positively charged 2D NiAl-LDH sheets and negatively charged 2D g-C3N4 nanosheets. This new 2D/2D interface heterojunction showed remarkable performance for photocatalytic CO2 reduction to produce renewable fuels such as CO and H2 under visible-light irradiation, far superior to that of either single phase g-C3N4 or NiAl-LDH nanosheets. The enhancement of photocatalytic activity could be attributed mainly to the excellent interfacial contact at the heterojunction of g-C3N4/NiAl-LDH, which subsequently results in suppressed recombination, and improved transfer and separation of photogenerated charge carriers. In addition, the optimal g-C3N4/NiAl-LDH nanocomposite possessed high photostability after successive experimental runs with no obvious change in the production of CO from CO2 reduction. Our findings regarding the design, fabrication and photophysical properties of 2D/2D heterostructure systems may find use in other photocatalytic applications including H2 production and water purification.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2667–2678 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Early online date | 11 Jan 2018 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 24 Jan 2018 |
Bibliographical note
This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in [Applied Materials & Interfaces], copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see [http://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.7b18835].Funding:DST Nanomission Thematic Unit program “Nanoscience for Clean Energy
Keywords
- layered double hydroxide
- g-C3N4
- CO2 reduction
- nanocomposite
- photocatalysis