Direct Z-Scheme 2D/2D Photocatalyst Based on Ultrathin g-C3N4 and WO3 Nanosheets for Efficient Visible-Light-Driven H2 Generation

Ultrathin two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials can not only boost the interfacial charge migration and separation but also provide abundant reactive sites for the photocatalytic H₂ generation. Herein, a kind of direct Z-scheme 2D/2D hybrid nanomaterial is fabricated by post-annealing atomically ultrathin Pt-loaded g-C₃N₄ nanosheets (Pt-CN NSs) with a thickness of ∼4.0 nm and hydrogen-treated WO₃ nanosheets (HWO NSs) with a thickness of ∼2.6 nm. The strong affinity existing between the two types of nanosheets with few-layer stacking results in the formation of atomically ultrathin 2D/2D hybrid nanomaterials (Pt-CN/HWO) with intimate interfacial contact in which the strong electronic interaction and efficient charge separation lead to a direct Z-scheme electron flowing from HWO NSs to CN NSs and then to the Pt cocatalyst for catalyzing the H₂ generation reaction. After optimizing the component ratio, the corresponding Pt-CN/HWO hybrid nanomaterial delivers a significantly boosted photocatalytic H₂ generation activity, up to 6.2 times as high as that of the Pt-CN/WO composite containing Pt-CN NSs and WO₃ nanoplates (WO NPs) without hydrogen treatment. This result reveals that the atomically ultrathin nanosheets in the 2D/2D hybrid nanomaterials can not only deliver strong electronic interaction to promote the Z-scheme mechanism for maintaining the high reduction ability of g-C₃N₄ and high oxidation ability of WO₃ but also alleviate the charge recombination, therefore resulting in the excellent photocatalytic H₂ generation performance.

Controllable Fabrication of Heterogeneous p-TiO2 QDs@g-C3N4 p-n Junction for Efficient Photocatalysis

Photocatalytic technology has been considered to be an ideal approach to solve the energy and environmental crises, and TiO2 is regarded as the most promising photocatalyst. Compared with bare TiO2, TiO2 based p-n heterojunction exhibits a much better performance in charge separation, light absorption and photocatalytic activity. Herein, we developed an efficient method to prepare p-type TiO2 quantum dots (QDs) and decorated graphitic carbonitrile (g-C3N4) nanocomposites, while the composition and structure of the TiO2@g-C3N4 were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy characterizations. The characterization results reveal the surface decorated TiO2 quantum dots is decomposed by titanium glycerolate, which exhibits p-type conductivity. The presence of p-n heterojunction over interface is confirmed, and photoluminescence results indicate a better performance in transfer and separation of photo-generated charge carriers than pure semiconductors and type-II heterojunction. Moreover, the synergy of p-n heterojunction over interface, strong interface interaction, and quantum-size effect significantly contributes to the promoted performance of TiO2 QDs@g-C3N4 composites. As a result, the as-fabricated TiO2 QDs@g-C3N4 composite with a p/n mass ratio of 0.15 exhibits improved photo-reactivity of 4.3-fold and 5.4-fold compared to pure g-C3N4 in degradation of organic pollutant under full solar spectrum and visible light irradiation, respectively.

Novel nanocomposite derived from ZnO/CdS QDs embedded crosslinked chitosan: An efficient photocatalyst and effective antibacterial agent

A novel nanocomposite (cl-Ch-pMAc@ZnO/CdSQDs) has been developed under microwave irradiation via fabrication of ZnO/CdS quantum dots on anionically functionalized chitosan [i.e. poly (methacrylic acid) crosslinked chitosan (cl-Ch-pMAc) in the presence of diethylene glycol dimethacrylate (DEGDMA) crosslinker]. The structural, morphological and chemical/physical properties of crosslinked chitosan and the nanocomposites have been investigated using ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹³C NMR spectroscopy), high resolution-transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses. The nanocomposite demonstrates outstanding efficacy towards the photocatalytic degradation of cationic dyes [malachite green (MG), and safranin (SF)] and toxic organic molecule 2,4-dichloro phenol (2,4-DCP) under the exposure of sunlight. Liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy (LC-MS) studies predict that small molecules are produced by degradation. Moreover, the composite exhibits excellent antibacterial activity towards E-coli and B. subtilis. Finally, the nanocomposite can be regenerated effectively with changing the solution pH and also shows 5 times reusability without significant reduction on its efficiency.

Supramolecularly Bonded Layered Heterostructures Exhibiting HER Activity

van der Waals heterostructures formed by 2D materials have attracted much attention in the last few years. Recently, 2D nanosheets linked by covalent bonds have been found to exhibit novel properties. In the present study we have investigated supramolecular layered heterostructures formed by nanosheets of MoS₂ with BC₇ N, g-C₃ N₄ and graphene. These materials have been synthesized via a non-covalent host-guest synthetic design using cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) hosts. In addition to offering reversible disassembly, these heterostructures show good visible-light-driven hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity as well as reasonable gas adsorption and other properties.

Hierarchical NiO@N-Doped Carbon Microspheres with Ultrathin Nanosheet Subunits as Excellent Photocatalysts for Hydrogen Evolution

Achieving highly efficient hierarchical photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution is always challenging. Herein, hierarchical mesoporous NiO@N-doped carbon microspheres (HNINC) are successfully fabricated with ultrathin nanosheet subunits as high-performance photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution. The unique architecture of N-doped carbon layers and hierarchical mesoporous structures from HNINC could effectively facilitate the separation and transfer of photo-induced electron-hole pairs and afford rich active sites for photocatalytic reactions, leading to a significantly higher H₂ production rate than NiO deposited with platinum. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the migration path of the photo-generated electron transfer is from Ni 3d and O 2p hybrid states of NiO to the C 2p state of graphite, while the photo-generated holes locate at Ni 4s and Ni 4p hybrid states of NiO, which is beneficial to improve the separation of photo-generated electron-hole pairs. Gibbs free energy of the intermediate state for hydrogen evolution reaction is calculated to provide a fundamental understanding of the high H₂ production rate of HNINC. This research sheds light on developing novel photocatalysts for efficient hydrogen evolution.

Novel CoAl-LDH/g-C3N4/RGO ternary heterojunction with notable 2D/2D/2D configuration for highly efficient visible-light-induced photocatalytic elimination of dye and antibiotic pollutants

In this study, we fabricate a novel ternary heterojunction comprising CoAl-layered double hydroxide, g-C₃N₄, and reduced graphene oxide (LDH/CN/RGO) with a notable 2D/2D/2D configuration using a simple one-step hydrothermal method. The visible-light-induced LDH/CN/RGO ternary heterojunctions displayed significantly enhanced photocatalytic performance towards the degradation of aqueous Congo red (CR, dye) and tetracycline (TC, antibiotic) contaminants, which is far superior to that observed for pristine CN (base material), LDH, P25 (reference), and binary CN/RGO and LDH/CN heterojunctions. In particular, the LDH/CN/RGO ternary heterojunction with RGO and LDH contents of 1 wt.% and 15 wt.%, respectively, exhibited the highest degradation activity among all the fabricated catalysts, and it also displayed exceptional stability during recycling experiments. The significant enhancement in the photocatalytic performance and good stability of existing LDH/CN/RGO ternary heterojunctions were primarily attributed to the large intimate interfacial contact between constituent CN, LDH, and RGO prompted by their exceptional 2D/2D/2D arrangement, which accelerates the interfacial charge-transfer processes to effectively hinder the recombination of photoexcited charge carriers. The present study provides new insights into the rational design and fabrication of novel g-C₃N₄-based 2D/2D/2D layered ternary heterojunctions as high-performance photocatalysts, and promotes their application in addressing diverse energy and environmental issues.

2D/2D Heterojunctions for Catalysis

2D layered materials with atomic thickness have attracted extensive research interest due to their unique physicochemical and electronic properties, which are usually very different from those of their bulk counterparts. Heterojunctions or heterostructures based on ultrathin 2D materials have attracted increasing attention due to the integrated merits of 2D ultrathin components and the heterojunction effect on the separation and transfer of charges, resulting in important potential values for catalytic applications. Furthermore, 2D/2D heterostructures with face-to-face contact are believed to be a preferable dimensionality design due to their large interface area, which would contribute to enhanced heterojunction effect. Here, the cutting-edge research progress in 2D/2D heterojunctions and heterostructures is highlighted with a specific emphasis on synthetic strategies, reaction mechanism, and applications in catalysis (photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, and organic synthesis). Finally, the key issues and development perspectives in the applications of 2D/2D layered heterojunctions and heterostructures in catalysis are also discussed.

Enhanced photocatalytic properties of TiO2 nanosheets@2D layered black phosphorus composite with high stability under hydro-oxygen environment

Black phosphorus (BP) has gained great attention as a potential candidate in the photocatalytic field due to its tunable bandgap and high-mobility features, however, poor stability behavior and the high charge recombination of BP limit its practical application. In the present work, a liquid phase exfoliation method is employed to prepare layered BP. The as-prepared layered BP is decorated on TiO2 nanosheets to form a TiO2 nanosheets@BP composite, which stabilizes BP existence under a hydro-oxygen environment. Whereafter, the photocatalytic properties of the TiO2 nanosheets@BP composite towards the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) are proven to be greatly enhanced compared to those of pure layered BP and TiO2 nanosheets, and the photodegradation rate reached 98% after 120 minutes irradiation under UV-Vis light. It is worth mentioning that the photocatalytic cycling performance of the TiO2 nanosheets@BP composite remained at 92.5% under the irradiation of UV-Vis light after three cycles. The main reason for this lies in the fact that the formation of the TiO2 nanosheets@BP composite may favor light absorption and effectively reduce the recombination of electron-hole pairs.

Recent advances in carbon quantum dot (CQD)-based two dimensional materials for photocatalytic applications

This review presents up-to-date research findings and critical insights on trending topics of pristine CQDs and CQDs-based 2D nanomaterial composites.

Nanostructured tungsten sulfides: insights into precursor decomposition and the microstructure using X-ray scattering methods

The entire path from a thiotungstate precursor via its decomposition intermediate to nanosized WS₂ with heavy stacking disorder is traced using various X-ray scattering methods.

Novel design of hollow g-C3N4 nanofibers decorated with MoS2 and S, N-doped graphene for ternary heterostructures

Herein, we newly design 1-dimensional ternary structure of HGCNF/MoS₂/SNG via a one-pot hydrothermal treatment at relatively low temperature and showed a higher double layer capacitance with HER activity.

Efficient bifunctional reactivity of K-doped CrO(OH) nanosheets: exploiting the combined role of Cr(iii) and surface –OH groups in tandem catalysis

Layered K-α-CrO(OH) nanosheets as a non-noble metal based tandem catalyst for sequential oxidation and coupling/condensation reactions.

Nanoporous 2D semiconductors encapsulated by quantum-sized graphitic carbon nitride: tuning directional photoinduced charge transfer via nano-architecture modulation

A reversed charge transfer pathway in photoredox catalysis has been achieved by rational structure engineering through electrostatically integrating g-C₃N₄ quantum dots with nanoporous CdS nanosheets.

Enhanced soot oxidation activity over CuO/CeO2 mesoporous nanosheets

CuO/CeO₂ mesoporous nanosheets exhibited superior soot oxidation activity owing to the synergistic effects.

Metal-Free Graphitic Carbon Nitride Photocatalyst Goes Into Two-Dimensional Time

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) is always a research hotspot as a metal-free visible-light-responsive photocatalyst, in the field of solar energy conversion (hydrogen-production by water splitting). This critical review summarizes the recent progress in the design and syntheses of two-dimensional (2D) g-C₃N₄ and g-C₃N₄-based nanocomposites, covering (1) the modifications of organic carbon nitrogen precursors, such as by heat treatment, metal or metal-free atoms doping, and modifications with organic functional groups, (2) the influencing factors for the formation of 2D g-C₃N₄ process, including the calcination temperature and protective atmosphere, etc. (3) newly 2D g-C₃N₄ nanosheets prepared from pristine raw materials and bulk g-C₃N₄, and the combination of 2D g-C₃N₄ with other 2D semiconductors or metal atoms as a cocatalyst, and (4) the structures and characteristics of each type of 2D g-C₃N₄ systems, together with their optical absorption band structures and interfacial charge transfers. In addition, the first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculation of the g-C₃N₄ system has been summarized, and this review provides an insightful outlook on the development of 2D g-C₃N₄ photocatalysts. The comprehensive review is concluded with a summary and future perspective. Moreover, some exciting viewpoints on the challenges, and future directions of 2D g-C₃N₄ photocatalysts are discussed and highlighted in this review. This review can open a new research avenue for the preparation of 2D g-C₃N₄ photocatalysts with good performances.

2D Polymers as Emerging Materials for Photocatalytic Overall Water Splitting

Converting solar energy into storable and transportable chemical fuels using artificial photosynthetic systems can provide an alternative route to the current unsustainable use of fossil fuels, addressing the worldwide energy crisis and environmental issues. Recently, semiconducting polymers have emerged as a very promising class of photocatalysts for water splitting as their electronic and structural properties can be conveniently controlled and systematically designed at a molecular level. Among the various polymer photocatalysts that are reported so far, 2D polymer nanosheets are particularly interesting and gaining more attention. The 2D planar structure offers unique features such as high surface area, abundant surface active sites, efficient charge separation, and facile formation of heterostructures. The design and synthesis of 2D polymer nanosheets have greatly advanced the research in photocatalytic overall water splitting. Here, recent advances in developing photocatalysts based on 2D polymer nanosheets for photocatalytic overall water splitting are highlighted. Specifically, the existing approaches to tune their electronic structures and surface active sites for photocatalysis are discussed. Future opportunities and challenges for developing 2D polymers for photocatalytic overall water splitting are also included.

Photocatalysis in Two-Dimensional Black Phosphorus: The Roles of Many-Body Effects

Two-dimensional (2D) black phosphorus (BP) has drawn tremendous attention in solar-light-driven catalytic processes for its intriguing chemical and physical properties. Benefiting from the highly anisotropic electronic structure induced by its puckered crystal geometry, 2D BP tends to have greater confinement with respect to traditional inorganic nanomaterials, thereby leading to robust many-body effects. Such Coulomb-interaction-mediated effects dominate the electronic and optical properties of 2D BP-based nanosystems, where exotic correlations between photoinduced species give rise to unique photoexcitation processes that are closely associated with the involved photocatalytic behavior. In this Perspective, we highlight the critical role of many-body effects in 2D BP-based photocatalysis and exemplify the relationships between the correlated photoinduced species-dominated photoexcitation processes and photocatalytic behavior involved therein. The relevant challenges and opportunities in pursuing efficient 2D BP-based solar energy utilization are also discussed.

Fabrication of ZnO/Red Phosphorus Heterostructure for Effective Photocatalytic H₂ Evolution from Water Splitting

Photocatalysis is a green technique that can convert solar energy to chemical energy, especially in H₂ production from water splitting. In this study, ZnO and red phosphorus (ZnO/RP) heterostructures were fabricated through a facile calcination method for the first time, which showed the considerable photocatalytic activity of H₂ evolution. The photocatalytic activities of heterostructures with different ratios of RP have been investigated in detail. Compared to bare ZnO, ZnO/RP heterostructures exhibit a 20.8-fold enhancement for H₂ production and furthermore overcome the photocorrosion issue of ZnO. The improved photocatalytic activities highly depend on the synergistic effect of the high migration efficiency of photo-induced electron–hole pairs with the inhibited charge carrier recombination on the surface. The presented strategy can also be applied to other semiconductors for various optoelectronics applications.

Theoretical Studies on the Electronic and Optical Properties of Honeycomb BC3 monolayer: A Promising Candidate for Metal-free Photocatalysts

By employing first-principles computations and particle-swarm optimization calculations, we theoretically confirmed the honeycomb geometry of experimentally realized BC3 sheet, which is constructed by the hexagonal carbon-ring fragments surrounded by six boron atoms and has pronounced thermodynamic stabilities. Remarkably, the computations also demonstrate the visible-light absorption, high carrier mobilities, and promising reduction and oxidation capacities of the BC3 monolayer, indicating its efficient absorption of solar radiation, fast migration of electron and holes, and excellent capabilities of photoinduced carriers in a photocatalytic process, respectively. Additionally, its indirect band gap, spatially separated charge distributions, and great difference in mobilities of electrons and holes should lead to the restricted recombination of photoactivated e--h+ pairs within BC3 monolayer. All above-mentioned characteristics suggest that the honeycomb BC3 monolayer should be a recommendable candidate for metal-free photocatalysts, which is worthy of further verifications and explorations in experimental studies.

Enhancement Photocatalytic Activity of the Heterojunction of Two-Dimensional Hybrid Semiconductors ZnO/V2O5

In this work, we report the fabrication of the new heterojunction of two 2D hybrid layered semiconductors—ZnO (stearic acid)/V2O5 (hexadecylamine)—and its behavior in the degradation of aqueous methylene blue under visible light irradiation. The optimal photocatalyst efficiency, reached at a ZnO (stearic acid)/V2O5 (hexadecylamine) ratio of 1:0.25, results in being six times higher than that of pristine zinc oxide. Reusability test shows that after three photocatalysis cycles, no significant changes in either the dye degradation efficiency loss, nor the photocatalyst structure, occur. Visible light photocatalytic performance observed indicates there is synergetic effect between both 2D nanocomposites used in the heterojunction. The visible light absorption enhancement promoted by the narrower bandgap V2O5 based components; an increased photo generated charge separation favored by extensive interface area; and abundance of hydrophobic sites for dye adsorption appear as probable causes of the improved photocatalytic efficiency in this hybrid semiconductors heterojunction. Estimated band-edge positions for both conduction and valence band of semiconductors, together with experiments using specific radical scavengers, allow a plausible photodegradation mechanism.

Enhanced Schottky effect of a 2D-2D CoP/g-C3N4 interface for boosting photocatalytic H2 evolution

As emerging noble metal-free co-catalysts, transition metal phosphides have been employed to improve photocatalytic H2 production activity. Herein, the metallicity of CoP, as a representative phosphide, and the Schottky effect between CoP and g-C3N4 are confirmed via theoretical calculations. Then, a 2D/2D structure is designed to enlarge the Schottky effect between the interfaces, for which the apparent quantum efficiency of the photocatalytic H2 evolution is 2.1 times that of corresponding 0D/2D heterojunctions. The morphology, microstructure, chemical composition, and physical nature of pristine CoP, g-C3N4, and the composites are characterized in order to investigate the dynamic behavior of photo-induced charge carriers between CoP and g-C3N4. Based on the measurements, it is proposed that the efficient electron collecting effect of CoP can be attributed to the superior interfacial contact and Schottky junction between the CoP and g-C3N4 interfaces. Furthermore, the excellent electrical conductivity and low overpotential of CoP make water reduction easier. This work demonstrates that the construction of a 2D/2D structure based on a suitable Fermi level is crucial for enhancing the Schottky effect of transition metal phosphides.

Metal-Free 2D/2D Phosphorene/g-C3 N4 Van der Waals Heterojunction for Highly Enhanced Visible-Light Photocatalytic H2 Production

The generation of green hydrogen (H₂ ) energy using sunlight is of great significance to solve the worldwide energy and environmental issues. Particularly, photocatalytic H₂ production is a highly promising strategy for solar-to-H₂ conversion. Recently, various heterostructured photocatalysts with high efficiency and good stability have been fabricated. Among them, 2D/2D van der Waals (VDW) heterojunctions have received tremendous attention, since this architecture can promote the interfacial charge separation and transfer and provide massive reactive centers. On the other hand, currently, most photocatalysts are composed of metal elements with high cost, limited reserves, and hazardous environmental impact. Hence, the development of metal-free photocatalysts is desirable. Here, a novel 2D/2D VDW heterostructure of metal-free phosphorene/graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃ N₄ ) is fabricated. The phosphorene/g-C₃ N₄ nanocomposite shows an enhanced visible-light photocatalytic H₂ production activity of 571 µmol h^-1 g^-1 in 18 v% lactic acid aqueous solution. This improved performance arises from the intimate electronic coupling at the 2D/2D interface, corroborated by the advanced characterizations techniques, e.g., synchrotron-based X-ray absorption near-edge structure, and theoretical calculations. This work not only reports a new metal-free phosphorene/g-C₃ N₄ photocatalyst but also sheds lights on the design and fabrication of 2D/2D VDW heterojunction for applications in catalysis, electronics, and optoelectronics.

Hybrid Density Functional Study on the Photocatalytic Properties of Two-dimensional g-ZnO Based Heterostructures

In this work, graphene-like ZnO (g-ZnO)-based two-dimensional (2D) heterostructures (ZnO/WS₂ and ZnO/WSe₂) were designed as water-splitting photocatalysts based on the hybrid density functional. The dependence of photocatalytic properties on the rotation angles and biaxial strains were investigated. The bandgaps of ZnO/WS₂ and ZnO/WSe₂ are not obviously affected by rotation angles but by strains. The ZnO/WS₂ heterostructures with appropriate rotation angles and strains are promising visible water-splitting photocatalysts due to their appropriate bandgap for visible absorption, proper band edge alignment, and effective separation of carriers, while the water oxygen process of the ZnO/WSe₂ heterostructures is limited by their band edge positions. The findings pave the way to efficient g-ZnO-based 2D visible water-splitting materials.

KCl-mediated dual electronic channels in layered g-C3N4 for enhanced visible light photocatalytic NO removal

Limited by relatively fast charge carrier recombination, the performance of g-C3N4 photocatalysts is still far below what is expected. Herein, we tackle this challenge by introducing K and Cl ions into the interlayer of graphitic carbon nitride (KCl-doped g-C3N4). It is found that K and Cl ions coexisting in g-C3N4 could function as a dual channel for electron and hole transfer, respectively. As-prepared KCl-doped g-C3N4 shows a narrow bandgap, positive-shifted valence band edge and lower barriers for charge transfer between layers. Under visible light irradiation, the electrons created in the g-C3N4 layer are transferred by K ions, while the holes are transferred via Cl ions to induce photocatalysis. As expected, the enhanced visible light absorption, strong oxidization ability of the valence band holes and the prolonged lifetime of the charge carriers benefiting from the dual electronic channel endow KCl-doped g-C3N4 with a superior photocatalytic performance for NOx removal, exceeding the performances of both bare g-C3N4 and K doped g-C3N4. An in situ DRIFTS investigation reveals the reaction mechanism of the photocatalytic NO oxidation. The perspective of the dual channel for charge transfer could present a new design concept to effectively steer the efficiency of photocatalysts.

Bimetallic Au-Pd nanoparticles on 2D supported graphitic carbon nitride and reduced graphene oxide sheets: A comparative photocatalytic degradation study of organic pollutants in water

Novel and sustainable bimetallic nanoparticles of Au-Pd on 2D graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets was designed adopting an eco-friendly chemical route to obtain Au-Pd/g-C₃N₄ and Au-Pd/rGO, respectively. Elimination of hazardous pollutants, particularly phenol from water is urgent for environment remediation due to its significant carcinogenicity. Considering this aspect, the Au-Pd/g-C₃N₄ and Au-Pd/rGO nanocomposites are used as photocatalyst towards degradation of toxic phenol, 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) and 2-nitrophenol (2-NP) under natural sunlight and UV light irradiation. Au-Pd/g-C₃N₄ nanocomposite exhibited higher activity then Au/g-C₃N₄, Pd/g-C₃N₄ and Au-Pd/rGO nanocomposites with more than 95% degradation in 180 min under sunlight. The obtained degradation efficiency of our materials is better than many other reported photocatalysts. Incorporation of nitrogen atoms in the carbon skeleton of g-C₃N₄ provides much better properties to Au-Pd/g-C₃N₄ nanocomposite than carbon based Au-Pd/rGO leading to its higher degradation efficiency. Due to the presence of these nitrogen atoms and some defects, g-C₃N₄ possesses appealing electrical, chemical and functional properties. Photoluminescence results further revealed the efficient charge separation and delayed recombination of photo-induced electron-hole pairs in the Au-Pd/g-C₃N₄ nanocomposite. Generation of reactive oxygen species during photocatalysis is well explained through photoluminescence study and the sustainability of these photocatalyst was ascertained through reusability study up to eight and five consecutive cycles for Au-Pd/g-C₃N₄ and Au-Pd/rGO nanocomposites, respectively without substantial loss in its activity. Characterization of the photocatalysts after reaction signified the stability of the nanocomposites and added advantage to our developed photocatalytic system.

Lithium ion storage ability, supercapacitor electrode performance, and photocatalytic performance of tungsten disulfide nanosheets

Few layered WS₂ nanosheets for energy and environmental applications.

Facile synthesis of highly active fluorinated ultrathin graphitic carbon nitride for photocatalytic H2 evolution using a novel NaF etching strategy

Although graphitic carbon nitride (GCN) has been intensively studied in photocatalytic research, its performance is still hindered by its inherently low photo-absorption and inefficient charge separation. Herein, we report a simple NaF solution treating method to produce fluorinated and alkaline metal intercalated ultrathin GCN with abundant in-plane pores and exposed active edges, and therefore an enhanced number of actives sites. Compared to bulk GCN, NaF treated GCN has a larger specific surface area of 81.2 m² g⁻¹ and a relatively narrow band gap of 2.60 eV, which enables a 6-fold higher photocatalytic rate of hydrogen evolution.

Although graphitic carbon nitride (GCN) has been intensively studied in photocatalytic research, its performance is still hindered by its inherently low photo-absorption and inefficient charge separation.