TY - JOUR

T1 - Decoration of mesoporous graphite-like C3N4 nanosheets by NiS nanoparticle-driven visible light for hydrogen evolution

AU - Kadi, Mohammad W.

AU - Mohamed, Reda M.

AU - Ismail, Adel A.

AU - Bahnemann, Detlef W.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2018, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2018/8

Y1 - 2018/8

N2 - Separation of photogenerated electrons from holes is an important factor that increases hydrogen evolution rate in the water splitting reaction. This recombination prevention can be achieved by co-catalyst’s deposition onto the semiconductor material’s surfaces. In this contribution, synthesis of mesoporous C 3N 4 of graphite-like structure by a combustion technique employing high mesoporous silica as a template has been achieved. Subsequently, NiS nanoparticles were decorated as g-C 3N 4 nanosheets at various NiS contents (5–20%). the photocatalytic efficiency of the prepared NiS/g-C 3N 4 nanocomposites was investigated and compared with those of pure NiS and g-C 3N 4 for evolution of hydrogen using glycerol as a scavenger upon visible light illumination. The findings indicated that the content of deposited NiS nanoparticles onto g-C 3N 4 is significant in the enhancement of the photocatalytic response of g-C 3N 4. 15% NiS/g-C 3N 4 nanocomposite is the optimized photocatalyst and its photocatalytic activity is larger than both NiS and g-C 3N 4 by about 48 and 114 times, respectively. 15% NiS/g-C 3N 4 nanocomposite has photocatalytic stability up to five times. The enrichment of the photocatalytic efficiency of NiS/g-C 3N 4 photocatalyst could be attributed to the presence of NiS nanoparticles as co-catalyst, which enables efficient charge carrier separation of g-C 3N 4, mesostructure, large surface area and narrow band gap.

AB - Separation of photogenerated electrons from holes is an important factor that increases hydrogen evolution rate in the water splitting reaction. This recombination prevention can be achieved by co-catalyst’s deposition onto the semiconductor material’s surfaces. In this contribution, synthesis of mesoporous C 3N 4 of graphite-like structure by a combustion technique employing high mesoporous silica as a template has been achieved. Subsequently, NiS nanoparticles were decorated as g-C 3N 4 nanosheets at various NiS contents (5–20%). the photocatalytic efficiency of the prepared NiS/g-C 3N 4 nanocomposites was investigated and compared with those of pure NiS and g-C 3N 4 for evolution of hydrogen using glycerol as a scavenger upon visible light illumination. The findings indicated that the content of deposited NiS nanoparticles onto g-C 3N 4 is significant in the enhancement of the photocatalytic response of g-C 3N 4. 15% NiS/g-C 3N 4 nanocomposite is the optimized photocatalyst and its photocatalytic activity is larger than both NiS and g-C 3N 4 by about 48 and 114 times, respectively. 15% NiS/g-C 3N 4 nanocomposite has photocatalytic stability up to five times. The enrichment of the photocatalytic efficiency of NiS/g-C 3N 4 photocatalyst could be attributed to the presence of NiS nanoparticles as co-catalyst, which enables efficient charge carrier separation of g-C 3N 4, mesostructure, large surface area and narrow band gap.

KW - Hydrogen production

KW - Mesoporous graphite-like C N

KW - NiS

KW - Visible light

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85056472550&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s13204-018-0835-4

DO - 10.1007/s13204-018-0835-4

M3 - Article

VL - 8

SP - 1587

EP - 1596

JO - Applied Nanoscience (Switzerland)

JF - Applied Nanoscience (Switzerland)

SN - 2190-5509

IS - 6

ER -