Premium
Dual Functions of CO 2 Molecular Activation and 4 f Levels as Electron Transport Bridge in Dysprosium Single Atom Composite Photocatalysts with Enhanced Visible‐Light Photoactivities
Author(s) -
Zhao Yue,
Han Zhendong,
Gao Guoyang,
Zhang Wanying,
Qu Yang,
Zhu Hongyang,
Zhu Peifen,
Wang Guofeng
Publication year - 2021
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.202104976
Subject(s) - materials science , photocatalysis , dysprosium , heterojunction , electron transfer , catalysis , ion , atom (system on chip) , visible spectrum , lanthanide , photochemistry , nanotechnology , optoelectronics , inorganic chemistry , chemistry , organic chemistry , computer science , embedded system
The effect of rare earth (RE) single atoms on photocatalytic activity is very complex due to its special electronic configuration, which leads to few reports on the RE single atoms. Here, Dy 3+ single atom composite photocatalysts are successfully constructed based on both the special role of Dy 3+ and the special advantages of CdS/g‐C 3 N 4 heterojunction in the field of photocatalysis. The results show that an efficient way of electron transfer is provided to promote charge separation, and the dual functions of CO 2 molecular activation of rare‐earth single atom and 4 f levels as electron transport bridge are fully exploited. It is exciting that under visible‐light irradiation, the catalytic performance of CdS:Dy 3+ /g‐C 3 N 4 is ≈ 6.9 times higher than that of pure g‐C 3 N 4 . The catalytic performance of CdS:Dy 3+ and CdS:Dy 3+ /g‐C 3 N 4 are ≈ 7 and ≈ 13.7 times higher than those of pure CdS, respectively. Besides, not all RE ions are suitable for charge transfer bridges, which is not only related to the 4 f levels of RE ions but also related to the bandgap structure of CdS and g‐C 3 N 4 . The pattern of combining single‐atom catalysis and heterojunction opens up new methods for enhancing photocatalytic activity.