Self-propelled jet carbon micromotor enhanced photocatalytic performance for water splitting

In the research of photocatalysis, the effect of mass transfer has been seriously ignored, though its importance to photocatalytic performance has been already proved. In this work, self-propelled jet carbon micromotors, carbon bottle (CB), are combined with photocatalysts to enhance the photocatalytic performance, based on the infrared light utilization and active mass flow transfer, the so-called “on-the-fly” working mode. Compared with the traditional Janus motors, the environmentally friendly CB motors, which can be prepared through one-step hydrothermal route, has the advantages of simple synthesis, low price and not containing precious metal. The CB motor has excellent motion characteristics in pure water without additional chemicals as fuels. The photocatalytic activity of 10 wt% CB/g-C₃N₄ and 10 wt% CB/P25 are 2.1 and 2.3 times than that of pure g-C₃N₄ and P25, respectively. This work provides a new strategy for the development of photocatalytic technology by utilizing the self-propulsion of micromotors.