Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | e16772 |
| Journal | Heliyon |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| Early online date | 28 May 2023 |
| Publication status | Published - Jun 2023 |
Abstract
Improvements of visible light activity, slow recombination rate, stability, and efficiency are major challenges facing photocatalyst technologies today. Utilizing heterostructures of g-C3N4 (bandgap ∼2.7eV) with Nb2O5 (bandgap ∼3.4eV) as an alternative materials for the first time, we tried to overcome such challenges in this work. Heterostructures of Nb2O5/g-C3N4 have been synthesized via hydrothermal technique. And then a time-resolved laser flash photolysis of those heterostructures has been analyzed, focusing on seeking how to improve photocatalytic efficiency for molecular hydrogen (H2) evolution. The transient absorption spectra and the lifetime of charge carriers at different wavelengths have been observed for Nb2O5/g-C3N4, where g-C3N4 was used for a control. The role of hole scavenger (methanol) has also been investigated for the purpose of boosting charge trapping and H2 evolution. The long lifetime of Nb2O5/g-C3N4 heterostructures (6.54165 μs) compared to g-C3N4 (3.1651897 μs) has successfully supported the increased H2 evolution of 75 mmol/h.g. An enhancement in the rate of H2 evolution (160 mmol/h.g) in the presence of methanol has been confirmed. This study not only deepens our understanding of the role of scavenger, but also enables a rigorous quantification of the recombination rate crucial for photocatalytic applications in relation with efficient H2 production.
Keywords
- Heterostructures, Hydrogen evolution, Laser Flash Photolysis, NbO/g-CN, Transient absorption spectra
ASJC Scopus subject areas
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In: Heliyon, Vol. 9, No. 6, e16772, 06.2023.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Laser flash photolysis study of Nb2O5/g-C3N4 heterostructures as efficient photocatalyst for molecular H2 evolution
AU - Tariq, Muhammad Umair
AU - Bahnemann, Detlef
AU - Idrees, Faryal
AU - Iqbal, Saman
AU - Iqbal, Fauzia
AU - Butt, Faheem K.
AU - Choi, Jeong Ryeol
AU - Bilal, Muhammad
N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) (No.: NRF-2021R1F1A1062849 ). This study was supported by Alexander Von Humboldt, Germany , Saint Petersburg State University, Russia and Pakistan Science Foundation ( PSF-NSFC-IV/Phy/P-PU(31) ). Funding Information: Pakistan Science Foundation PSF-NSFC-IV/Phy/P-PU(31), Department of Physics, University of the Punjab, Lahore 54590, Pakistan and D.W.B acknowledges financial support from Saint Petersburg State University, Russia (Research Grant 39054581).
PY - 2023/6
Y1 - 2023/6
N2 - Improvements of visible light activity, slow recombination rate, stability, and efficiency are major challenges facing photocatalyst technologies today. Utilizing heterostructures of g-C3N4 (bandgap ∼2.7eV) with Nb2O5 (bandgap ∼3.4eV) as an alternative materials for the first time, we tried to overcome such challenges in this work. Heterostructures of Nb2O5/g-C3N4 have been synthesized via hydrothermal technique. And then a time-resolved laser flash photolysis of those heterostructures has been analyzed, focusing on seeking how to improve photocatalytic efficiency for molecular hydrogen (H2) evolution. The transient absorption spectra and the lifetime of charge carriers at different wavelengths have been observed for Nb2O5/g-C3N4, where g-C3N4 was used for a control. The role of hole scavenger (methanol) has also been investigated for the purpose of boosting charge trapping and H2 evolution. The long lifetime of Nb2O5/g-C3N4 heterostructures (6.54165 μs) compared to g-C3N4 (3.1651897 μs) has successfully supported the increased H2 evolution of 75 mmol/h.g. An enhancement in the rate of H2 evolution (160 mmol/h.g) in the presence of methanol has been confirmed. This study not only deepens our understanding of the role of scavenger, but also enables a rigorous quantification of the recombination rate crucial for photocatalytic applications in relation with efficient H2 production.
AB - Improvements of visible light activity, slow recombination rate, stability, and efficiency are major challenges facing photocatalyst technologies today. Utilizing heterostructures of g-C3N4 (bandgap ∼2.7eV) with Nb2O5 (bandgap ∼3.4eV) as an alternative materials for the first time, we tried to overcome such challenges in this work. Heterostructures of Nb2O5/g-C3N4 have been synthesized via hydrothermal technique. And then a time-resolved laser flash photolysis of those heterostructures has been analyzed, focusing on seeking how to improve photocatalytic efficiency for molecular hydrogen (H2) evolution. The transient absorption spectra and the lifetime of charge carriers at different wavelengths have been observed for Nb2O5/g-C3N4, where g-C3N4 was used for a control. The role of hole scavenger (methanol) has also been investigated for the purpose of boosting charge trapping and H2 evolution. The long lifetime of Nb2O5/g-C3N4 heterostructures (6.54165 μs) compared to g-C3N4 (3.1651897 μs) has successfully supported the increased H2 evolution of 75 mmol/h.g. An enhancement in the rate of H2 evolution (160 mmol/h.g) in the presence of methanol has been confirmed. This study not only deepens our understanding of the role of scavenger, but also enables a rigorous quantification of the recombination rate crucial for photocatalytic applications in relation with efficient H2 production.
KW - Heterostructures
KW - Hydrogen evolution
KW - Laser Flash Photolysis
KW - NbO/g-CN
KW - Transient absorption spectra
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85161031950&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16772
DO - 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16772
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85161031950
VL - 9
JO - Heliyon
JF - Heliyon
SN - 2405-8440
IS - 6
M1 - e16772
ER -