Sugars induced exfoliation of porous graphitic carbon nitride for efficient hydrogen evolution in photocatalytic water-splitting reaction
Abstract Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution holds great promise for addressing critical energy and environmental challenges, making it an important area in scientific research. One of the most popular photocatalysts is graphitic carbon nitride (gCN), which has emerged as a noteworthy candidate for hy...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52593-4 |
| _version_ | 1827329286812467200 |
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| author | Daria Baranowska Klaudia Zielinkiewicz Ewa Mijowska Beata Zielinska |
| author_facet | Daria Baranowska Klaudia Zielinkiewicz Ewa Mijowska Beata Zielinska |
| author_sort | Daria Baranowska |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution holds great promise for addressing critical energy and environmental challenges, making it an important area in scientific research. One of the most popular photocatalysts is graphitic carbon nitride (gCN), which has emerged as a noteworthy candidate for hydrogen generation through water splitting. However, ongoing research aims to enhance its properties for practical applications. Herein, we introduce a green approach for the fabrication of porous few-layered gCN with surface modifications (such as oxygen doping, carbon deposition, nitrogen defects) with promoted performance in the hydrogen evolution reaction. The fabrication process involves a one-step solvothermal treatment of bulk graphitic carbon nitride (bulk-gCN) in the presence of different sugars (glucose, sucrose, and fructose). Interestingly, the conducted time-dependent process revealed that porous gCN exfoliated in the presence of fructose at 180 °C for 6 h (fructose_6h) exhibits a remarkable 13-fold promotion of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution compared to bulk-gCN. The studied materials were extensively characterized by microscopic and spectroscopic techniques, allowing us to propose a reaction mechanism for hydrogen evolution during water-splitting over fructose_6h. Furthermore, the study highlights the potential of employing a facile and environmentally friendly fructose-assisted solvothermal process to improve the efficiency and stability of catalysts based on graphitic carbon nitride. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T15:30:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-72a407ac333d4798908d74f1ba550e58 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T15:30:43Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-72a407ac333d4798908d74f1ba550e582024-03-05T16:25:23ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-01-0114111310.1038/s41598-024-52593-4Sugars induced exfoliation of porous graphitic carbon nitride for efficient hydrogen evolution in photocatalytic water-splitting reactionDaria Baranowska0Klaudia Zielinkiewicz1Ewa Mijowska2Beata Zielinska3Department of Nanomaterials Physicochemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Engineering, West Pomeranian University of Technology in SzczecinDepartment of Nanomaterials Physicochemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Engineering, West Pomeranian University of Technology in SzczecinDepartment of Nanomaterials Physicochemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Engineering, West Pomeranian University of Technology in SzczecinDepartment of Nanomaterials Physicochemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Engineering, West Pomeranian University of Technology in SzczecinAbstract Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution holds great promise for addressing critical energy and environmental challenges, making it an important area in scientific research. One of the most popular photocatalysts is graphitic carbon nitride (gCN), which has emerged as a noteworthy candidate for hydrogen generation through water splitting. However, ongoing research aims to enhance its properties for practical applications. Herein, we introduce a green approach for the fabrication of porous few-layered gCN with surface modifications (such as oxygen doping, carbon deposition, nitrogen defects) with promoted performance in the hydrogen evolution reaction. The fabrication process involves a one-step solvothermal treatment of bulk graphitic carbon nitride (bulk-gCN) in the presence of different sugars (glucose, sucrose, and fructose). Interestingly, the conducted time-dependent process revealed that porous gCN exfoliated in the presence of fructose at 180 °C for 6 h (fructose_6h) exhibits a remarkable 13-fold promotion of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution compared to bulk-gCN. The studied materials were extensively characterized by microscopic and spectroscopic techniques, allowing us to propose a reaction mechanism for hydrogen evolution during water-splitting over fructose_6h. Furthermore, the study highlights the potential of employing a facile and environmentally friendly fructose-assisted solvothermal process to improve the efficiency and stability of catalysts based on graphitic carbon nitride.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52593-4 |
| spellingShingle | Daria Baranowska Klaudia Zielinkiewicz Ewa Mijowska Beata Zielinska Sugars induced exfoliation of porous graphitic carbon nitride for efficient hydrogen evolution in photocatalytic water-splitting reaction Scientific Reports |
| title | Sugars induced exfoliation of porous graphitic carbon nitride for efficient hydrogen evolution in photocatalytic water-splitting reaction |
| title_full | Sugars induced exfoliation of porous graphitic carbon nitride for efficient hydrogen evolution in photocatalytic water-splitting reaction |
| title_fullStr | Sugars induced exfoliation of porous graphitic carbon nitride for efficient hydrogen evolution in photocatalytic water-splitting reaction |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sugars induced exfoliation of porous graphitic carbon nitride for efficient hydrogen evolution in photocatalytic water-splitting reaction |
| title_short | Sugars induced exfoliation of porous graphitic carbon nitride for efficient hydrogen evolution in photocatalytic water-splitting reaction |
| title_sort | sugars induced exfoliation of porous graphitic carbon nitride for efficient hydrogen evolution in photocatalytic water splitting reaction |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52593-4 |
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