Premium
Modulating the Photocatalytic Activity of Graphene Quantum Dots via Atomic Tailoring for Highly Enhanced Photocatalysis under Visible Light
Author(s) -
Jeon SuJi,
Kang TaeWoog,
Ju JongMin,
Kim ManJin,
Park Jung Hyun,
Raza Faizan,
Han Juhee,
Lee HyeRim,
Kim JongHo
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.201603803
Subject(s) - photocatalysis , materials science , quantum dot , graphene , visible spectrum , dopant , photochemistry , heteroatom , redox , doping , nanotechnology , catalysis , chemistry , organic chemistry , optoelectronics , ring (chemistry) , metallurgy
Precise control over doping of photocatalysts is required to modulate their photocatalytic activity in visible light‐driven reactions. Here, a single precursor‐employing bottom‐up approach is developed to produce different heteroatom‐doped graphene quantum dots (GQDs) with unique photocatalytic activities. The solvothermal reaction of a norepinephrine precursor with redox active and condensable moieties effectively produces both nitrogen/sulfur codoped GQDs (NS‐GQDs) and nitrogen‐doped GQDs (N‐GQDs) by simply varying solvents (from dimethyl sulfoxide to water) under microwave irradiation. As‐prepared NS‐GQDs and N‐GQDs show similar lateral sizes (3–4 nm) and heights (1–2 nm), but they include different dopant types and doping constitution and content, which lead to changes in photocatalytic activity in aerobic oxidative coupling reactions of various amines. NS‐GQDs exhibit much higher photocatalytic activity in reactions under visible light than N‐GQDs and oxygen‐doped GQDs (O‐GQDs). The mechanism responsible for the outstanding photocatalytic activity of NS‐GQDs in visible light‐driven oxidative coupling reactions of amines is also fully investigated.