Iron-Doped Carbon Nitride-Type Polymers as Homogeneous Organocatalysts for Visible Light-Driven Hydrogen Evolution

• DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5b09684
• Publication Date: 2015-12-09T21:54:47Z
• Authors: Lin-Feng Gao; Ting Wen; Jing-Yin Xu; Xin-Ping Zhai; Min Zhao; Guo-Wen Hu; Peng Chen; Qiang Wang; Hao-Li Zhang
• Keywords: Carbon nitride; Graphitic carbon nitride; Carbon fibers

Graphitic carbon nitrides have appeared as a new type of photocatalyst for water splitting, but their broader and more practical applications are oftentimes hindered by the insolubility or difficult dispersion material in solvents. We herein prepared novel two-dimensional (2D) nitride-type polymers doped iron under mild one-pot method through preorganizing formamide citric acid precursors into supramolecular structures, which eventually polycondensed homogeneous organocatalyst highly efficient visible light-driven hydrogen evolution with rate ∼16.2 mmol g(-1) h(-1) quantum efficiency 0.8%. Laser photolysis electrochemical impedance spectroscopic measurements suggested that iron-doping enabled strong electron coupling between metal nitride formed unique electronic structures favoring mobilization along 2D nanomaterial plane, might facilitate transfer process photocatalytic system lead to H2 evolution. In combination measurements, dynamics during reduction were depicted, earth-abundant Fe-based catalyst may open sustainable strategy conversion sunlight energy cope current challenging issues worldwide.