Photocatalytic dehydrogenation of formic acid promoted by a superior PdAg@g-C3N4 Mott-Schottky heterojunction

Herein, we report the production of a superior Mott-Schottky heterojunction that is based on PdAg nanowires (NWs) that grow in situ on graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4). Due to the strong Mott-Schottky effect between PdAg NWs and g-C3N4, the heterojunction enhances the photocatalytic dehydrogenation of formic acid (FA) (TOF = 420 h(-1)) without additives and under visible light (lambda > 400 nm) at 25 degrees C, which is the best value among all heterogeneous catalysts reported for the photocatalytic dehydrogenation of FA. The H-2 production rate is almost constant under the current reaction conditions. Detailed studies reveal that a favorable charge transfer from g-C3N4 and Ag to Pd makes Pd electron-rich, which enhances the catalytic activity and stability of the heterojunction for the photocatalytic dehydrogenation of FA under visible light. Our studies open up a new route to the design of a metal-semiconductor heterojunction for visible light-driven photocatalytic dehydrogenation of FA.