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Updated: Jan 30, 2026

Experimental Methods for Efficient Solar Hydrogen Production in Microgravity Environment
Published on: December 3, 2019
Tailoring the Grain Boundary Chemistry of Polymeric Carbon Nitride for Enhanced Solar Hydrogen Production and CO2
Guigang Zhang1, Guosheng Li2, Tobias Heil1
1Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14476, Potsdam, Germany.
Abstract:
Photocatalytic water splitting is a promising and clean way to mimic plant photosynthesis in a sustainable manner. Improvements of the quantum efficiency and optical absorption in the relevant range are necessary steps to approach practicality. Herein, we reported that these issues can be readily addressed when 5-aminotetrazole, a monomer with high nitrogen content, is used for the synthesis of carbon nitride. The molten salt mixture NaCl/KCl is used as a high-temperature solvent to tailor the grain boundary structure and chemistry. Visible light quantum efficiency for H2 production of 0.65 could be obtained in the presence of K2 HPO4 as a double layer modifier. This value is very high, considering that this number depends on light to charge couple conversion, charge localization, as well as a successful oxidation and reduction reaction.
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