ZnGaNO Photocatalyst Particles Prepared from Methane-Based Nitridation Using Zn/Ga/CO 3 LDH as Precursor

• Published in: Inorganic chemistry 2018-08, Vol.57 (15), p.9412-9424
• Main Authors: Hu, Yan-Ling, Ou, Shuhua, Huang, Jialiang, Ji, Huayu, Xiang, Siwan, Zhu, Yuqin, Chen, Zhibang, Gong, Cheng, Sun, Lan, Lian, Jiqiong, Sun, Dongya, Fu, Yongsheng, Ma, Tongmei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0020-1669; 1520-510X
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.8b01415

Methane-based nitridation was employed to produce wurtzite zinc-gallium oxynitride (ZnGaNO) photocatalyst particles using Zn/Ga/CO layered double hydroxides (LDHs) as precursor. Introduction of methane to nitridation would promote the formation of Zn-O bonding and suppress shallow acceptor complexes such as V -Ga and Ga-O in ZnGaNO particles. On the other hand, high flow rate of methane would induce breaking of Ga-N bonding and enhance surface deposition of metallic Ga atoms. After loading with Rh and RuO , ZnGaNO particles had free electron density in an order of S50 > S20 > S90 > S0, which correlated well with their photocatalytic performance upon visible-light irradiation. The best performance of the loaded S50 was ascribed to the relatively flat surface band bending of the particle. Methane-based nitridation of Zn/Ga/CO LDHs would provide a new route to tune the surface chemistry of ZnGaNO and enhance the photocatalytic performance to its full potential.