Two-dimensional graphitic carbon nitride/N-doped carbon with a direct Z-scheme heterojunction for photocatalytic generation of hydrogen

Photocatalysts with a direct Z-scheme heterojunction are promising by virtue of the effectively enhanced separation of charge carriers, high retention of redox ability and the absence of backward photocatalytic reactions. Their activity depends on band alignment and interfacial configurations between two semiconductors for charge carrier kinetics and the effective active sites for photochemical reactions. Herein, a two-dimensional (2D) graphitic carbon nitride/N-doped carbon (C₃N₄/NC) photocatalyst is synthesized by a gas template (NH₄Cl)-assisted thermal condensation method. C₃N₄/NC has the synthetic merits of a direct Z-scheme heterojunction, 2D-2D interfacial contact, and enhanced specific surface area to improve charge separation kinetics and provide abundant active sites for photochemical reaction. It exhibits an over 46-fold increase of the photocatalytic hydrogen production rate compared to bulk C₃N₄under visible light illumination. This work demonstrates the great potential of 2D Z-scheme heterojunctions for photocatalysis and will inspire more related work in the future.