ABSTRACT
The construction of heterojunction photocatalyst is an effective mean to improve the photoexcited electron–hole pair separation. The Ag2WO4-doped graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4, C3N4 for short) composite photocatalysts were fabricated by a simple calcination and in-situ depositing strategy. The composites were characterized by different techniques. The effects of Ag2WO4 content, type of scavengers, pH value of reaction solution and dose of scavenger on photocatalytic hydrogen (H2) generation were studied. It was found that the Ag2WO4 micro-nano particles were highly dispersed on the C3N4 surface. After doping Ag2WO4, the light absorption range of Ag2WO4-C3N4 material was broadened effectively from 440 nm to 448 nm, and the BET surface area of C3N4 was increased from 35.63 to 40.73 cm2·g−1, indicating that Ag2WO4 loading could provide some new BET surface areas. The binding energy of all elements in Ag2WO4-4/C3N4 was clearly shifted due to the charge transfer from C3N4 to Ag2WO4, implying a strong interaction between C3N4 and Ag2WO4. The photocatalytic H2 production rate of the optimized Ag2WO4-4/C3N4 was 6047.4 μmol·g−1·h−1, which was 2.04 and 171.8 times that of C3N4 and Ag2WO4, respectively. While Ag2WO4-4/C3N4 exhibited a poor H2 production performance in the absence of Pt co-catalyst (309.3 μmol·g−1·h−1), indicating the formation of heterojunction among Ag2WO4, C3N4 and Pt.
Acknowledgements
The project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51676064), the Program for Science & Technology Innovation Talents in Universities of Henan Province (19HASTIT045), and the Innovative Research Team of Henan Polytechnic University (T2020-3).
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Supplementary data
Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/15567036.2024.2346161.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Manman Jing
Manman Jing is a master student at the School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, China. Her research focuses on photocatalytic hydrogen production technology. [email protected].
Anchao Zhang
Anchao Zhang is a professor in the School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, China. He received his B.S. degree from College of Energy and Environment, Zhongyuan Institute of Technology, China and received his M.S. and Ph.D. degree from School of Energy and Power Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China. His areas of interest include clean and efficient utilization of coal, collaborative control technology of various pollutants, photocatalytic hydrogen production technology, and photocatalytic pollution treatment technology. [email protected]
Qianqian Zhang
Qianqian Zhang is awarded PhD in mechanical engineering from Henan Polytechnic University in 2024, and she is working as a lecturer at the School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, China. Her research focuses on the treatment of power plant flue gas pollutants, electrocatalytic and photocatalytic hydrogen production technology. [email protected].
Hua Wang
Hua Wang is a professor at the School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, China. She is doing research on solar thermal utilization, efficient utilization technology of biomass energy, and high-quality utilization technology of kitchen waste. [email protected].
Tao Lu
Tao Lu is a master student at the School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, China. His research focuses on photocatalytic hydrogen production technology. [email protected].
Feixiang Ni
Feixiang Ni is a master student at the School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, China. His research focuses on photocatalytic hydrogen production technology. [email protected].
Min Li
Min Li is a master student at the School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University from 2022. Her research focuses on photocatalytic hydrogen production technology. [email protected].
Haixing Du
Haixing Du studied as a master student at the School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University from 2022. His research focuses on photoelectrocatalysis and pollutant control technology. [email protected].
Xinmin Zhang
Xinmin Zhang is a professor at the School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, China. He is doing research on micro/nano manufacturing, biomass heat utilization technology, and low-grade waste heat/energy utilization technology. [email protected].