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Enhanced Visible‐Light‐Driven Activity of Sodium‐, Calcium‐ and Aluminium‐Inserted g‐C 3 N 4
Author(s) -
Islam M. Merajul,
Tentu Rama D.,
Ali M. Asif,
Basu Suddhasatwa
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
chemistryselect
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.437
H-Index - 34
ISSN - 2365-6549
DOI - 10.1002/slct.201802650
Subject(s) - tafel equation , visible spectrum , photocatalysis , photocurrent , materials science , charge carrier , kinetics , metal , photochemistry , catalysis , chemistry , optoelectronics , electrode , electrochemistry , metallurgy , biochemistry , physics , quantum mechanics
g‐C 3 N 4 has emerged as a promising low‐cost metal free photocatalyst with ideal optical‐electronic properties; however, high recombination rate is one of the barriers associated with its low photocatalytic activity. Al and Ca intercalated g‐C 3 N 4 photocatalysts with superior visible‐light utilization and charge‐carrier have been synthesized using one‐step thermal condensation method. An enhanced visible‐light harvesting capacity due to a red shift in the optical band gap of inserted g‐C 3 N 4 photocatalysts was observed. The charge‐transfer, its kinetics across the interface and electron‐hole pairs separations were systematically investigated using photoelectrochemical measurements. The evaluation of photocatalytic activity of Al and Ca intercalated g‐C 3 N 4 through degradation of RhB dye revealed 4.6 and 2.5 fold improvement in performance of g‐C 3 N 4. Al intercalated g‐C 3 N 4 shows highest photocurrent density, lowest Tafel slope and highest exchange‐current density due to least recombination rate of photo generated charge‐carriers, facile kinetics and least charge‐transfer resistance without use of any noble metal co‐catalyst towards oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with excellent stability.