A simple approach to synthesize g-C3N4 with high visible light photoactivity for hydrogen production

• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2015.04.063
• Publication Date: 2015-05-04T21:49:26Z
• Authors: P. Martín-Ramos; J. Martín-Gil; R.C. Dante; F. Vaquero; R.M. Navarro; J.L.G. Fierro
• Keywords: hydrogen generation; Selenium; 02 engineering and technology; Carbon nitrides; water-splitting; 0210 nano-technology

Peer reviewed<br/>The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of Dr. Manuel Avella (Microscopy Unit, Parque Científico, Universidad de Valladolid) and Dr. Francisco M. Sánchez-Arévalo (IIM-UNAM) with the SEM and TEM analysis and the DR spectra measurements, respectively. P. Martín-Ramos would like to thank Iberdrola Foundation for its financial support. UVa group acknowledges financial support of Junta de Castilla y León through project VA036A12-2. ICP-CSIC group acknowledges the research program supported by the Secretaría de Estado de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación (MINECO, Spain) under the project CTQ2013-48669-P<br/>Se-doped g-C3N4 was synthesized from sonicated aqueous suspensions of melamine cyanurate and SeO2. The different thermal condensation temperatures in the 500-650 ºC range were found to influence the photophysical properties and hydrogen evolution rates. H2 evolution increased dramatically by two orders of magnitude when Pt co-catalyst (1 wt.%) was incorporated, reaching an HER of 75 µmol H2/h·gcat<br/>