Artificial visible light-induced H2O2 production using polymeric K/O-doped carbon nitride as a catalyst

• Published in: Applied surface science 2023-01, Vol.609, p.155432, Article 155432
• Main Authors: Li, Zehao, Chen, Yufei, Chen, Xiaoyuan, Li, Le, Kuang, Siya, Guo, Yuxuan, Wang, Yanan, Gao, Jing
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Carbon nitride; Hydrogen peroxide; N defects; Oxygen reduction reaction; Photocatalysis
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2022.155432

Due to the synergistic effect of K and O, the reaction energy barrier of intermediate species •OOH was greatly reduced, thereby leading to a great improvement in photocatalytic H2O2 production. [Display omitted] •K/O-doping PCN with N defects and increased specific surface area is prepared.•Owing to the synergistic effect of K/O-doping and N defects, the modified PCN exhibits excellent ethanol and oxygen capture ability.•The SCC efficiency of the modified PCN is 0.52% under white LED light illumination in ethanol system (10 vol%). In an attempt to improve the decrease in H2O2 yield, resulting from slow electron transfer, availability of limited active sites for reaction, and low O2 activation of pristine polymeric carbon nitride (PCN), we fabricated a K/O-modified PCN photocatalyst with a high specific surface area and high O2 activation ability. A synergy between K and O dopants in PCN aided in reducing the reaction energy barrier of the •OOH intermediate species, thereby allowing PCN to exhibit a high H2O2 yield under white LED light 4428.3 μmol g-1h−1), almost 28 times higher in comparison to that obtained for the pristine PCN. The solar-to-chemical conversion (SCC) efficiencies in the presence of modified PCN were respectively equal to 0.05 % and 0.52 % under white LED light in pure water and ethanol solution (ethanol, 10 vol%). Additionally, the modified PCN exhibited a quite wide optical response. The apparent quantum yields (AQYs) of our modified PCN in ethanol were equal to 23.52 % and 1.19 % at 385 and 520 nm, respectively. Polymeric K/O-doped carbon nitride can therefore be utilized as a potential catalyst for artificial visible light-induced H2O2 production.