Graphitic carbon nitride(g-C_(3)N_(4))has emerged as a remarkably promising photocatalyst for addressing environmental and energy issues;however,it exhibits only moderate photocatalytic activity because of its low spe...Graphitic carbon nitride(g-C_(3)N_(4))has emerged as a remarkably promising photocatalyst for addressing environmental and energy issues;however,it exhibits only moderate photocatalytic activity because of its low specific surface area and high recombination of carriers.Preparation of crystalline g-C_(3)N_(4) by the molten salt method has proven to be an effective method to improve the photocatalytic activity.However,crystalline g-C_(3)N_(4) prepared by the conventional molten salt method exhibits a less regular morphology.Herein,highly crystalline g-C_(3)N_(4) hollow spheres(CCNHS)were successfully prepared by the molten salt method using cyanuric acid-melamine as a precursor.The higher crystallization of the CCNHS samples not only repaired the structural defects at the surface of the CCNHS samples but also established a built-in electric field between heptazine-based g-C_(3)N_(4) and triazine-based g-C_(3)N_(4).The hollow structure improved the level of light energy utilization and increased the number of active sites for photocatalytic reactions.Because of the above characteristics,the as-prepared CCNHS samples simultaneously realized photocatalytic hydrogen evolution with the degradation of the plasticizer bisphenol A.This research offers a new perspective on the structural optimization of supramolecular self-assembly.展开更多
Single-atom Pt catalysts are designed to promote efficient atom utilization,whereas effective decrease of Pt loading and improvement of photocatalytic activity in monoatomic Pt-deposited systems is still ongoing.Atomi...Single-atom Pt catalysts are designed to promote efficient atom utilization,whereas effective decrease of Pt loading and improvement of photocatalytic activity in monoatomic Pt-deposited systems is still ongoing.Atomically dispersed metal species in crystalline carbon nitride are still challenging owing to their high crystallization and structural stability.In this study,we developed a novel single-atomic Pt-Cu catalyst for reducing noble metal loading by combining Pt with earth-abundant Cu atoms and enhancing photocatalytic CO_(2)reduction.N-vacancy-rich crystalline carbon nitride was used as a fine-tuning ligand for isolated Pt-Cu atom dispersion based on its accessible functional N vacancies as the seeded centers.The synthesized dimetal Pt-Cu atoms on crystalline carbon nitride(Pt Cu-cr CN)exhibited high selectivity and activity for CO_(2)conversion without the addition of any cocatalyst or sacrificial agent.In particular,we demonstrated that the diatomic Pt-Cu exhibited high mass activity with only 0.32 wt% Pt loading and showed excellent photocatalytic selectivity toward CH_(4)generation.The mechanism of CO_(2)photoreduction for Pt Cu-cr CN was proposed based on the observations and analysis of aberration-corrected high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy images,in situ irradiated X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,and in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy.The findings of this work provide insights for abrogating specific bifunctional atomic metal sites in noble metal-based photocatalysts by reducing noble metal loading and maximizing their effective mass activity.展开更多
The active site amount of photocatalysts,being the key factors in photocatalytic reactions,directly affects the photocatalytic performance of the photocatalyst.Pristine graphitic carbon nitride(g‐C_(3)N_(4))exhibits ...The active site amount of photocatalysts,being the key factors in photocatalytic reactions,directly affects the photocatalytic performance of the photocatalyst.Pristine graphitic carbon nitride(g‐C_(3)N_(4))exhibits moderate photocatalytic activity due to insufficient active sites.In this study,cyano‐modified porous g‐C_(3)N_(4)nanosheets(MCN‐0.5)were synthesized through molecular self‐assembly and alkali‐assisted strategies.The cyano group acted as the active site of the photocatalytic reaction,because the good electron‐withdrawing property of the cyano group promoted carrier separation.Benefiting from the effect of the active sites,MCN‐0.5 exhibited significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity for CO2 reduction under visible light irradiation.Notably,the photocatalytic activity of MCN‐0.5 was significantly reduced when the cyano groups were removed by hydrochloric acid(HCl)treatment,further verifying the role of cyano groups as active sites.The photoreduction of Pt nanoparticles provided an intuitive indication that the introduction of cyano groups provided more active sites for the photocatalytic reaction.Furthermore,the controlled experiments showed that g‐C_(3)N_(4)grafted with cyano groups using melamine as the precursor exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity,which proved the versatility of the strategy for enhancing the activity of g‐C_(3)N_(4)via cyano group modification.In situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy and theoretical calculations were used to investigate the mechanism of enhanced photocatalytic activity for CO2 reduction by cyano‐modified g‐C_(3)N_(4).This work provides a promising route for promoting efficient solar energy conversion by designing active sites in photocatalysts.展开更多
Crystalline carbon nitride(CCN)prepared by a molten-salt method is attracting increased attention because of its promising properties and excellent photocatalytic activity.In this work,we further improve the crystalli...Crystalline carbon nitride(CCN)prepared by a molten-salt method is attracting increased attention because of its promising properties and excellent photocatalytic activity.In this work,we further improve the crystallinity of CCN through synthesis by the molten-salt method under the action of aqueous hydrochloric acid(HCl)solution.Our results showed that the crystallinity of the as-prepared samples increased with increasing HCl concentration and reached the maximum value at 0.1 mol L^-1.This can be attributed to the removal of some potassium ions(K+)from the terminal amino groups of CCN by the aqueous HCl solution,which results in a release of the polymerization sites.As a result,the crystallinity of the as-prepared samples further increased.Moreover,the obtained 0.1 highly crystalline carbon nitride(0.1HCCN;treated with 0.1 mol L^-1 aqueous HCl solution)exhibited an excellent photocatalytic hydrogen evolution of 683.54μmol h^-1 g^-1 and a quantum efficiency of 6.6%at 420 nm with triethanolamine as the sacrificial agent.This photocatalytic hydrogen evolution was 2 and 10 times higher than those of CCN and bulk carbon nitride,respectively.The enhanced photocatalytic activity was attributed to the improved crystallinity and intercalation of K+into the xHCCN interlayer.The improved crystallinity can decrease the number of surface defects and hydrogen bonds in the as-prepared sample,thereby increasing the mobility of the photoinduced carriers and reducing the recombination sites of the electron-hole pairs.The K+intercalated into the xHCCN interlayer also promoted the transfer of the photoinduced electrons because these ions can increase the electronic delocalization and extend theπ-conjugated systems.This study may provide new insights into the further development of the molten-salt method.展开更多
The emerging two-dimensional MXene-derived quantum dots(MQDs)have garnered considerable research interest owing to their abundant active edge atoms,excellent electrical conductivity,and remarkable optical properties.C...The emerging two-dimensional MXene-derived quantum dots(MQDs)have garnered considerable research interest owing to their abundant active edge atoms,excellent electrical conductivity,and remarkable optical properties.Compared with their two-dimensional(2D)counterpart MXene,MQDs with forceful size and quantum confinement effects exhibit more unparalleled properties and have considerably contributed to the advanced photocatalysis,detection,energy storage,and biomedicine fields.This critical review summarizes the fundamental properties of MQDs in terms of structure,electricity,and optics.The mechanism,characteristics,and comparisons of two typical synthesis strategies(traditional chemical method and novel fluorine-free or chemical-free method)are also presented.Furthermore,the similarities and differences between MQDs and 2D MXenes are introduced in terms of their functional groups,light absorption capacity,energy band structure,and other properties.Moreover,recent advances in the applications of MQD-based materials for energy conversion and storage(ECS)are discussed,including photocatalysis,batteries,and supercapacitors.Finally,current challenges and future opportunities for advancing MQD-based materials in the promising ECS field are presented.展开更多
文摘Graphitic carbon nitride(g-C_(3)N_(4))has emerged as a remarkably promising photocatalyst for addressing environmental and energy issues;however,it exhibits only moderate photocatalytic activity because of its low specific surface area and high recombination of carriers.Preparation of crystalline g-C_(3)N_(4) by the molten salt method has proven to be an effective method to improve the photocatalytic activity.However,crystalline g-C_(3)N_(4) prepared by the conventional molten salt method exhibits a less regular morphology.Herein,highly crystalline g-C_(3)N_(4) hollow spheres(CCNHS)were successfully prepared by the molten salt method using cyanuric acid-melamine as a precursor.The higher crystallization of the CCNHS samples not only repaired the structural defects at the surface of the CCNHS samples but also established a built-in electric field between heptazine-based g-C_(3)N_(4) and triazine-based g-C_(3)N_(4).The hollow structure improved the level of light energy utilization and increased the number of active sites for photocatalytic reactions.Because of the above characteristics,the as-prepared CCNHS samples simultaneously realized photocatalytic hydrogen evolution with the degradation of the plasticizer bisphenol A.This research offers a new perspective on the structural optimization of supramolecular self-assembly.
文摘Single-atom Pt catalysts are designed to promote efficient atom utilization,whereas effective decrease of Pt loading and improvement of photocatalytic activity in monoatomic Pt-deposited systems is still ongoing.Atomically dispersed metal species in crystalline carbon nitride are still challenging owing to their high crystallization and structural stability.In this study,we developed a novel single-atomic Pt-Cu catalyst for reducing noble metal loading by combining Pt with earth-abundant Cu atoms and enhancing photocatalytic CO_(2)reduction.N-vacancy-rich crystalline carbon nitride was used as a fine-tuning ligand for isolated Pt-Cu atom dispersion based on its accessible functional N vacancies as the seeded centers.The synthesized dimetal Pt-Cu atoms on crystalline carbon nitride(Pt Cu-cr CN)exhibited high selectivity and activity for CO_(2)conversion without the addition of any cocatalyst or sacrificial agent.In particular,we demonstrated that the diatomic Pt-Cu exhibited high mass activity with only 0.32 wt% Pt loading and showed excellent photocatalytic selectivity toward CH_(4)generation.The mechanism of CO_(2)photoreduction for Pt Cu-cr CN was proposed based on the observations and analysis of aberration-corrected high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy images,in situ irradiated X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,and in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy.The findings of this work provide insights for abrogating specific bifunctional atomic metal sites in noble metal-based photocatalysts by reducing noble metal loading and maximizing their effective mass activity.
文摘The active site amount of photocatalysts,being the key factors in photocatalytic reactions,directly affects the photocatalytic performance of the photocatalyst.Pristine graphitic carbon nitride(g‐C_(3)N_(4))exhibits moderate photocatalytic activity due to insufficient active sites.In this study,cyano‐modified porous g‐C_(3)N_(4)nanosheets(MCN‐0.5)were synthesized through molecular self‐assembly and alkali‐assisted strategies.The cyano group acted as the active site of the photocatalytic reaction,because the good electron‐withdrawing property of the cyano group promoted carrier separation.Benefiting from the effect of the active sites,MCN‐0.5 exhibited significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity for CO2 reduction under visible light irradiation.Notably,the photocatalytic activity of MCN‐0.5 was significantly reduced when the cyano groups were removed by hydrochloric acid(HCl)treatment,further verifying the role of cyano groups as active sites.The photoreduction of Pt nanoparticles provided an intuitive indication that the introduction of cyano groups provided more active sites for the photocatalytic reaction.Furthermore,the controlled experiments showed that g‐C_(3)N_(4)grafted with cyano groups using melamine as the precursor exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity,which proved the versatility of the strategy for enhancing the activity of g‐C_(3)N_(4)via cyano group modification.In situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy and theoretical calculations were used to investigate the mechanism of enhanced photocatalytic activity for CO2 reduction by cyano‐modified g‐C_(3)N_(4).This work provides a promising route for promoting efficient solar energy conversion by designing active sites in photocatalysts.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(51672099,21403079)Sichuan Science and Technology Program(2019JDRC0027)Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(2017-QR-25)~~
文摘Crystalline carbon nitride(CCN)prepared by a molten-salt method is attracting increased attention because of its promising properties and excellent photocatalytic activity.In this work,we further improve the crystallinity of CCN through synthesis by the molten-salt method under the action of aqueous hydrochloric acid(HCl)solution.Our results showed that the crystallinity of the as-prepared samples increased with increasing HCl concentration and reached the maximum value at 0.1 mol L^-1.This can be attributed to the removal of some potassium ions(K+)from the terminal amino groups of CCN by the aqueous HCl solution,which results in a release of the polymerization sites.As a result,the crystallinity of the as-prepared samples further increased.Moreover,the obtained 0.1 highly crystalline carbon nitride(0.1HCCN;treated with 0.1 mol L^-1 aqueous HCl solution)exhibited an excellent photocatalytic hydrogen evolution of 683.54μmol h^-1 g^-1 and a quantum efficiency of 6.6%at 420 nm with triethanolamine as the sacrificial agent.This photocatalytic hydrogen evolution was 2 and 10 times higher than those of CCN and bulk carbon nitride,respectively.The enhanced photocatalytic activity was attributed to the improved crystallinity and intercalation of K+into the xHCCN interlayer.The improved crystallinity can decrease the number of surface defects and hydrogen bonds in the as-prepared sample,thereby increasing the mobility of the photoinduced carriers and reducing the recombination sites of the electron-hole pairs.The K+intercalated into the xHCCN interlayer also promoted the transfer of the photoinduced electrons because these ions can increase the electronic delocalization and extend theπ-conjugated systems.This study may provide new insights into the further development of the molten-salt method.
文摘The emerging two-dimensional MXene-derived quantum dots(MQDs)have garnered considerable research interest owing to their abundant active edge atoms,excellent electrical conductivity,and remarkable optical properties.Compared with their two-dimensional(2D)counterpart MXene,MQDs with forceful size and quantum confinement effects exhibit more unparalleled properties and have considerably contributed to the advanced photocatalysis,detection,energy storage,and biomedicine fields.This critical review summarizes the fundamental properties of MQDs in terms of structure,electricity,and optics.The mechanism,characteristics,and comparisons of two typical synthesis strategies(traditional chemical method and novel fluorine-free or chemical-free method)are also presented.Furthermore,the similarities and differences between MQDs and 2D MXenes are introduced in terms of their functional groups,light absorption capacity,energy band structure,and other properties.Moreover,recent advances in the applications of MQD-based materials for energy conversion and storage(ECS)are discussed,including photocatalysis,batteries,and supercapacitors.Finally,current challenges and future opportunities for advancing MQD-based materials in the promising ECS field are presented.
