Construction of ultrathin 2D/2D g-C3N4/In2Se3 heterojunctions with high-speed charge transfer nanochannels for promoting photocatalytic hydrogen production

• Published in: Applied surface science 2020-10, Vol.528, p.146858, Article 146858
• Main Authors: Zhang, Shumin, Xu, Difa, Chen, Xiaohua, Zhang, Shiying, An, Changsheng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 2D/2D heterojunction; g-C3N4/In2Se3 nanosheet; Intrinsic electric field; Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution; Visible light
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2020.146858

[Display omitted] •The 2D/2D g-C3N4/In2Se3 heterojunction were prepared by one-step in-situ solution-phase method.•The ultrathin In2Se3 nanosheets could generate internal electric field.•A high-speed charge transfer channels exist in g-C3N4/In2Se3 heterojunction.•The heterojunction exhibited remarkably enhanced visible-light-driven hydrogen evolution rate. Reinforcing the photo-induced carrier separation and interfacial charge transfer are the pressing issue to elevate the photocatalyic hydrogen evolution efficiency of g-C3N4-based catalysts. To this end, a binary nanohybrid heterojunction of two-dimensional (2D) g-C3N4 and In2Se3 (g-C3N4/In2Se3-X) was designed and used as the visible light photocatalyst. Benefited from the intimate 2D/2D heterojunction interface and the spontaneous polarization characteristic of ultrathin In2Se3 nanosheet, the g-C3N4/In2Se3 heterojunction could generate numerous high-speed charge transfer channels, and the vertical intrinsic electric field of In2Se3 would considerably inhibit the recombination of photogenerated charge. By taking advantage of these features, the 2D/2D g-C3N4/In2Se3 heterojunction nanosheets exhibited remarkably intensified visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity, the optimal g-C3N4/In2Se3 heterojunction nanosheets exhibit a hydrogen evolution rate of 4.8 mmol·g−1·h−1 that greatly higher than pure g-C3N4 (0.94 mmol·g−1·h−1) and In2Se3. The photocatalytic mechanism and high-speed channels of interface charge transfer were investigated and discussed. This work can provide a possibility for design and construction of photocatalysts with high efficient separation of photoinduced carriers.