Biomimetic design and synthesis of visible-light-driven g-C3N4 nanotube @polydopamine/NiCo-layered double hydroxides composite photocatalysts for improved photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity

Fanying Meng; Yingying Qin; Jian Lu; Xinyu Lin; Minjia Meng; Gang Sun; Yongsheng Yan

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2020.10.007

Biomimetic design and synthesis of visible-light-driven g-C₃N₄ nanotube @polydopamine/NiCo-layered double hydroxides composite photocatalysts for improved photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2021 Feb 15:584:464-473. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2020.10.007. Epub 2020 Oct 13.

Authors

Fanying Meng¹, Yingying Qin², Jian Lu³, Xinyu Lin², Minjia Meng³, Gang Sun⁴, Yongsheng Yan⁵

Affiliations

¹ College of Science, Beihua University, Jilin 132013, PR China; Institute of Green Chemistry and Chemical Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China.
² Research Center of Fluid Machinery Engineering and Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, PR China.
³ Institute of Green Chemistry and Chemical Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China.
⁴ College of Science, Beihua University, Jilin 132013, PR China. Electronic address: bhhxsg@163.com.
⁵ Institute of Green Chemistry and Chemical Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China. Electronic address: yys@mail.ujs.edu.cn.

PMID: 33096412
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2020.10.007

Abstract

In the practical process of photocatalytic H₂ evolution, optimizing the ability of light absorption and charge spatial separation is the top priority for improving the photocatalytic performance. In this study, we elaborately engineer neoteric g-C₃N₄ nanotube@polydopamine(pDA)/NiCo-LDH (LPC) composite photocatalyst by combining hydrothermal and calcination method. In the LPC composite system, the one-dimensional (1D) g-C₃N₄ nanotubes with larger specific surface area can afford more active sites and conduce to shorten the charge migration distance, as well as the high-speed mass transfer in the nanotube can accelerate the reaction course. The g-C₃N₄/NiCo-LDH type-II heterojunction can efficaciously stimulate the spatial separation of photo-produced charge. In addition, pDA as heterojunction metal-free interface mediums can provide multiple action (π-π* electron delocalization effect, adhesive action and photosensitization). The optimized LPC nanocomposite displays about 3.3-fold high photoactivity for H₂ evolution compared with the g-C₃N₄ nanotube under solar light irradiation. In addition, the cycle experiment result shows that the LPC composite photocatalyst possesses superior stability and recyclability. The resultant g-C₃N₄@pDA/NiCo-LDH composite photocatalyst displays the potential practical application in the field of energy conversion.

Keywords: Ni-Co Layered double hydroxides; Photocatalytic H(2) evolution; Polydopamine; Synergetic mechanism; g-C(3)N(4) nanotube.