Synergy of NiO quantum dots and temperature on enhanced photocatalytic and thermophoto hydrogen evolution

Author Identifier

Hongqi Sun

ORCID : https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0907-5626

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Title

Chemical Engineering Journal

Publisher

Elsevier

School

School of Engineering

RAS ID

32893

Funders

Australian Research Council

Grant Number

ARC Number: DP150103026, ARC Number: DP170104264, ARC Number: LE120100026

Comments

Li, X., Zhang, H., Liu, Y., Duan, X., Xu, X., Liu, S., ... & Wang, S. (2020). Synergy of NiO quantum dots and temperature on enhanced photocatalytic and thermophoto hydrogen evolution. Chemical Engineering Journal, 390, Article 124634. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2020.124634

Abstract

Solar-to-hydrogen holds a great sustainable energy solution, in which photocatalysis plays an important role. In this study, a composite photocatalyst with NiO quantum dots (NiO QDs) in graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN) was synthesized and evaluated in photocatalytic (PC) and thermophotocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) under visible light. A sample of 9 wt% NiO QDs-g-CN achieved the highest PC-HER rate of 130 μmol·g−1·h−1 at ambient condition, 11 times higher than pristine g-CN. Meanwhile the thermophotocatalytic HER rate reached 260.2 μmol·g−1·h−1 at 55 °C. Photo-illumination led to the formation of C-O bond between g-CN and NiO QDs to bridge photoelectron transport for low HER overpotential barriers and enhanced electrical conductivity. The higher thermophoto-induced HER can be ascribed to the increased electrical conductivity of NiO QDs-g-CN. This work underlines the importance of chemical binding in hetero-structures and quantum confinement effects in QDs-based composites, and it also demonstrates the thermal sensitivity effect in thermophotocatalytic HER process.

DOI

10.1016/j.cej.2020.124634

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