Construction of a micro-nano reactor assembled by TiO2/N-C ultrathin sheets for photocatalytic H2 evolution

Yu Wang; Wenwen Zhan; Lei Yang; Jianwei Zhao; Liming Sun; Xiaojun Wang; Xiguang Han

doi:10.1039/d3cc01322g

Construction of a micro-nano reactor assembled by TiO₂/N-C ultrathin sheets for photocatalytic H₂ evolution

Chem Commun (Camb). 2023 Jun 27;59(52):8131-8134. doi: 10.1039/d3cc01322g.

Authors

Yu Wang¹, Wenwen Zhan¹, Lei Yang², Jianwei Zhao², Liming Sun¹, Xiaojun Wang¹, Xiguang Han¹

Affiliations

¹ Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Green Synthetic Chemistry for Functional Materials, Department of Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, 221116, P. R. China. limingsun1226@jsnu.edu.cn.
² Shenzhen HUASUAN Technology Co., Ltd, Shenzhen, 518055, P. R. China.

PMID: 37307013
DOI: 10.1039/d3cc01322g

Abstract

In this paper, a series of micro-nano reactors assembled by N doped carbon coated TiO₂ heterojunction nanosheets with different thickness, named TiO₂/N-C hollow framework (HF), TiO₂/N-C hollow hexahedron assembled by nanosheets (HHS), and TiO₂/N-C hollow hexahedron assembled by ultrathin nanosheets (HHUS), have been prepared by adjusting the alcoholysis rate of NH₂-MIL-125 and then pyrolysis. Experimental and theoretical studies revealed that with the decrease of the thickness of the heterojunction nanosheet subunit, more low-coordination Ti atoms would be exposed as effective sites for photocatalytic H₂ evolution, and the interaction between the carbon layer and TiO₂ would also be enhanced, which provided a smooth migration path for the effective separation of photogenerated carriers. Thus, TiO₂/N-C HHUS with the thinnest nanosheet subunit exhibited the best photoelectric performance and the highest photocatalytic hydrogen production activity.