Theoretical Study of p-Block Metal Single-Atom-Loaded Carbon Nitride Catalyst for Photocatalytic Water Splitting

Autor: Mengning Chen, Yidi Wu, Qiang Wan, Sen Lin
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Molecules, Vol 29, Iss 9, p 2030 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1420-3049
DOI: 10.3390/molecules29092030
Popis: Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), recognized for its considerable potential as a heterogeneous photocatalyst in water splitting, has attracted extensive research interest. By using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the regulatory role of p-block metal (PM) single atoms on the photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4 in overall water splitting was systematically explored. The incorporation of PM atoms (Ge, Sn and Pb) led to a reduction in the overpotentials required for both the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Combined with the electronic structures analysis via hybrid functional, it was found that the introduction of Ge, Sn or Pb optimizes the positions of the valence band maximum (VBM) and the conduction band minimum (CBM), providing a robust driving force for HER and ensuring substantial driving force for OER. Meanwhile, the presence of these three PMs induces the spatial separation of VBM and CBM, inhibiting the recombination of carriers. These findings have significant implications for the design and preparation of efficient photocatalysts.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
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