2D/1D BiOI/g-C3N4 nanotubes heterostructure for photoelectrochemical overall water splitting

Yufei Du; Rui Ma; Lingzhen Wang; Jin Qian; Qilin Wang

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156166

2D/1D BiOI/g-C₃N₄ nanotubes heterostructure for photoelectrochemical overall water splitting

Sci Total Environ. 2022 Sep 10;838(Pt 2):156166. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156166. Epub 2022 May 23.

Authors

Yufei Du¹, Rui Ma¹, Lingzhen Wang², Jin Qian³, Qilin Wang⁴

Affiliations

¹ School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710072, China.
² Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710055, China.
³ School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710072, China. Electronic address: qianjin@nwpu.edu.cn.
⁴ Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia.

PMID: 35618118
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156166

Abstract

To boost the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performances, the BiOI/graphitic carbon nitride nanotubes (g-C₃N₄ nanotubes) heterojunction was synthesized herein through the hydrothermal method. BiOI in-situ grew on the surface of g-C₃N₄ nanotubes derived from melamine. The rapid recombination between photoexcited electrons and holes of pristine semiconductors was prevented via building the stable heterojunction. The SEM results indicated that the BiOI was wrapped around the surface of g-C₃N₄ nanotubes, resulting in an optimized electronic transmission pathway. Much lower charge transfer resistance at the p-n heterojunction was demonstrated compared with pristine BiOI according to the EIS results, thus leading to the faster surface reaction rates. Moreover, the composite exhibited both outstanding OER and HER activities under illuminated conditions. This study may shed light upon establishing a bifunctional photoelectrocatalysis for photoelectrochemical water splitting based on stable 2D metal and 1D metal-free nanocomposite.

Keywords: BiOI/g-C(3)N(4) nanotubes; Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER); Internal electric field (IEF); Oxygen evolution reaction (OER); Photoelectrochemical; p-n heterojunction.