Solar photocatalytic water oxidation over Ag3PO4/g-C3N4 composite materials mediated by metallic Ag and graphene

Solar-driven water splitting over semiconductor-based photocatalysts provides direct conversion of solar energy to chemical energy, in which electron-hole separation and charge transport are critical for enhancing the photocatalytic activity of semiconducting materials. Moreover, the search for active photocatalysts that efficiently oxidize water remains a challenging task. Here, we demonstrate that a series of Ag3PO4/Ag/graphene/graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) heterostructured materials can drive photocatalytic water oxidation efficiently under LED illumination. The water oxidation behavior of as-prepared composite photocatalysts in relation to the added amount of g-C3N4 and the roles of electron mediators was investigated in detail. Based on the illuminated Z-scheme photocatalytic mechanism, the photogenerated electrons and holes can be separated effectively and the electron-hole recombination of bulk material is suppressed. The reduced metallic Ag nanoparticles were found to function as the center for the accumulation of electrons from Ag3PO4 and holes from g-C3N4. By exploiting the proper addition of g-C3N4 into the composite, photocatalytic oxygen evolution performance over the heterostructured materials could be suitably tuned, which resulted in highly efficient water oxidation. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.