Efficient hydrogen evolution from g-C3N4 under visible light by in situ loading Ag2Se nanoparticles as co-catalysts

Abstract

The low charge separation and transfer of g-C₃N₄ hinders its industrial application in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Here, we design a novel co-catalyst strategy to integrate Ag₂Se nanoparticles in situ on the surface of g-C₃N₄. The optimized photocatalyst, 15% Ag₂Se/g-C₃N₄, demonstrates remarkable photocatalytic efficiency in the hydrogen evolution rate, reaching to 1102.8 μmol·g⁻¹·h⁻¹, 7 times higher than g-C₃N₄. To further elucidate the photocatalytic activity of 15% Ag₂Se/g-C₃N₄, we present a possible mechanism based on various characterizations and density functional theory calculations. This research offers potential insights for the future development of silver chalcogenide composites in photocatalysis.