Synthesis of novel rare-earth cerium doped C3N4 nanocomposites for boosting photocatalytic H2 evolution

• Published in: Chemical physics letters Vol. 811; p. 140222
• Main Authors: Guan, Peng, Yang, Bin, Liu, Jianyong, Yin, Hang, Jiang, Jutao, Sui, Laizhi, Yang, Songqiu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 16.01.2023
• Subjects: C3N4; Cerium doping; Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution; Prolonged charge carrier lifetime; C3N4; Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution; Cerium doping; Prolonged charge carrier lifetime
• ISSN: 0009-2614; 1873-4448
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cplett.2022.140222

[Display omitted] •0.01Ce-C3N4 was successfully fabricated by facile thermal polymerization method.•Cerium doping exhibited an obvious influence on the photocatalytic performance.•Efficient exciton dissociation and prolonged charge carrier lifetime have been achieved.•The excellent photochemical stability endows 0.01Ce-C3N4 with practical application potential. It is very necessary to develop stable and cheap photocatalysts without precious metals, but they can significantly increase the photocatalytic activity. Herein, we designed and fabricated novel rare-earth cerium doped C3N4 (Ce-C3N4) for boosting photocatalytic H2 evolution. The chemical structure, morphology, photoelectrochemical and optical properties of the as-prepared Ce-C3N4 was tested through a range of characterization. The as-prepared 0.01Ce-C3N4 exhibited superior photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity (≈2.6 fold) than pristine C3N4. Its excellent photocatalytic activity result from efficient charge separation and an extended carrier lifetime. This work highlights the importance of rare earth element doping for devising of highly efficient and stable photocatalysts.