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Published on: December 6, 2021
Emerging Cocatalysts on g-C3 N4 for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution
Qiaohong Zhu1, Zehong Xu1, Bocheng Qiu2
1Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Multi-Media Environmental Catalysis and Resource Utilization, Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Joint International Research Laboratory of Precision Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China.
Abstract:
Over the past few decades, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3 N4 ) has arisen much attention as a promising candidate for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) owing to its low cost and visible light response ability. However, the unsatisfied HER performance originated from the strong charge recombination of g-C3 N4 severely inhibits the further large-scale application of g-C3 N4 . In this case, the utilization of cocatalysts is a novel frontline in the g-C3 N4 -based photocatalytic systems due to the positive effects of cocatalysts on supressing charge carrier recombination, reducing the HER overpotential, and improving photocatalytic activity. This review summarizes some recent advances about the high-performance cocatalysts based on g-C3 N4 toward HER. Specifically, the functions, design principle, classification, modification strategies of cocatalysts, as well as their intrinsic mechanism for the enhanced photocatalytic HER activity are discussed here. Finally, the pivotal challenges and future developments of cocatalysts in the field of HER are further proposed.
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