Copper phosphide decorated g-C₃N₄ catalysts for highly efficient photocatalytic H₂ evolution

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Photocatalysis
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Designing efficient heterojunctions for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution is crucial for solar energy utilization.
• Copper phosphides are cost-effective cocatalyst materials for hydrogen evolution reactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and evaluate copper phosphide (Cu3P, Cu97P3) loaded graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) catalysts for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.
• To investigate the effect of copper phosphide loading on the light absorption and charge carrier dynamics of g-C3N4.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of copper phosphide/g-C3N4 heterojunctions.
• Characterization using UV-visible spectroscopy and time-resolved transient photoluminescence.
• Evaluation of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rates and stability.

Main Results:

• Copper phosphide loading enhanced light absorption and significantly improved photoexcited carrier separation and transfer in g-C3N4.
• Cu3P/g-C3N4 achieved a maximum H2 evolution rate of 343 μmol h−1 g−1, and Cu97P3/g-C3N4 reached 162.9 μmol h−1 g−1.
• The catalysts demonstrated excellent stability over multiple cycles.

Conclusions:

• Copper phosphides act as effective cocatalysts for g-C3N4 in visible-light-driven hydrogen evolution.
• The developed synthesis method efficiently utilizes toxic phosphine gas (PH3).
• This work presents a promising strategy for designing advanced photocatalysts for hydrogen production.