2D-2D heterostructure g-C3N4-based materials for photocatalytic H2 evolution: Progress and perspectives

Rashid Mehmood; Zia Ahmad; Muhammad Bilal Hussain; Muhammad Athar; Ghulam Akbar; Zeeshan Ajmal; Sikandar Iqbal; Rameez Razaq; Mohammad Arif Ali; Abdul Qayum; Aadil Nabi Chishti; Fakhr Uz Zaman; Rahim Shah; Shahid Zaman; Adnan

doi:10.3389/fchem.2022.1063288

2D-2D heterostructure g-C₃N₄-based materials for photocatalytic H₂ evolution: Progress and perspectives

Front Chem. 2022 Dec 12:10:1063288. doi: 10.3389/fchem.2022.1063288. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Rashid Mehmood¹, Zia Ahmad², Muhammad Bilal Hussain³, Muhammad Athar¹, Ghulam Akbar², Zeeshan Ajmal⁴, Sikandar Iqbal⁵, Rameez Razaq⁶, Mohammad Arif Ali⁷, Abdul Qayum⁸, Aadil Nabi Chishti⁵, Fakhr Uz Zaman⁹, Rahim Shah¹⁰, Shahid Zaman¹¹, Adnan¹⁰

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Chemical Sciences, Bahaudin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan.
² Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
³ School of Energy and Power Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
⁴ Department of Soil and Environmental Science, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
⁵ ZJU-Hangzhou Global Technological and Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
⁶ Department of Chemical Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway.
⁷ Institute of Chemistry, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan.
⁸ Department of Chemistry, Shantou University, Shantou, China.
⁹ School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan, China.
¹⁰ Institute of Chemical Sciences University of Swat, Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
¹¹ Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUTech), Shenzhen, China.

Abstract

Photocatalytic hydrogen generation from direct water splitting is recognized as a progressive and renewable energy producer. The secret to understanding this phenomenon is discovering an efficient photocatalyst that preferably uses sunlight energy. Two-dimensional (2D) graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄)-based materials are promising for photocatalytic water splitting due to special characteristics such as appropriate band gap, visible light active, ultra-high specific surface area, and abundantly exposed active sites. However, the inadequate photocatalytic activity of pure 2D layered g-C₃N₄-based materials is a massive challenge due to the quick recombination between photogenerated holes and electrons. Creating 2D heterogeneous photocatalysts is a cost-effective strategy for clean and renewable hydrogen production on a larger scale. The 2D g-C₃N₄-based heterostructure with the combined merits of each 2D component, which facilitate the rapid charge separation through the heterojunction effect on photocatalyst, has been evidenced to be very effective in enhancing the photocatalytic performance. To further improve the photocatalytic efficiency, the development of novel 2D g-C₃N₄-based heterostructure photocatalysts is critical. This mini-review covers the fundamental concepts, recent advancements, and applications in photocatalytic hydrogen production. Furthermore, the challenges and perspectives on 2D g-C₃N₄-based heterostructure photocatalysts demonstrate the future direction toward sustainability.

Keywords: graphitic carbon nitride; heterojunction; photocatalytic H2 evolution; sustainable energy; two dimensional.

Publication types

Review