Graphene-Encapsulated CdS as a High-Performance Photocatalyst for H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> Production from Pure Water
Bingshu Jiang, Dongyun Chen, Najun Li, Qingfeng Xu, Hua Li, Jianmei Lu
Abstract
Photocatalytic production of H 2 O 2 has drawn broad research attention owing to its environmental benignity. However, the low activity and selectivity of this process need to be addressed. Accordingly, we herein report a photocatalyst based on reduced graphene oxide loaded with CdS nanoparticles and modified with anthraquinone-2-sulfonate (AQS) to address the above challenges. A photocatalytic H 2 O 2 yield of 558 μmol g –1 h –1 was achieved in purified water without an electron donor or aeration. Mechanistic studies showed that this high performance may be attributed to the combination of graphene and CdS promoting charge-carrier separation/transfer and increasing the quantity of adsorption and reaction sites as well as the highly selective two-electron oxygen reduction capacity of AQS. Overall, this composite photocatalyst overcomes a number of impediments to photocatalytic production of H 2 O 2 and will facilitate the application of solar energy in the production of H 2 O 2 .