g‐C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> S‐Scheme Homojunction through Van der Waals Interface Regulation by Intrinsic Polymerization Tailoring for Enhanced Photocatalytic H<sub>2</sub> Evolution and CO<sub>2</sub> Reduction
Xianglin Zhu, En‐Long Zhou, Xi–Shi Tai, Huibin Zong, Jianjian Yi, Zhimin Yuan, Xingling Zhao, Peng Huang, Hui Xu, Zaiyong Jiang
Abstract
Abstract The effective S‐scheme homojunction relies on the precise regulation of band structure and construction of advantaged charge migration interfaces. Here, the electronic structural properties of g‐C 3 N 4 were modulated through meticulous polymerization of self‐assembled supramolecular precursors. Experimental and DFT results indicate that both the intrinsic bandgap and surface electronic characteristics were adjusted, leading to the formation of an in‐situ reconstructed homojunction interface facilitated by intrinsic van der Waals forces. The homojunction catalyst, composed of g‐C 3 N 4 nanodots and ultra‐thin g‐C 3 N 4 nanoflakes, exhibited a significant S‐scheme carrier separation mechanism, which enhances the utilization of electrons and holes. Consequently, under AM 1.5 light irradiation (~100 mW/cm 2 ), the g‐C 3 N 4 homojunction photocatalyst achieved a remarkable hydrogen evolution rate of 580 μmol h −1 . Furthermore, a reversed CH 4 selectivity in CO 2 reduction was observed, yielding 80.30 μmol g −1 h −1 with a selectivity of 96.86 %, in contrast to the performance of bulk g‐C 3 N 4 , which produced only 2.22 μmol g −1 h −1 with the 15.69 % CH 4 selectivity. These findings not only highlight the significant potential of the g‐C 3 N 4 homojunction photocatalyst for hydrogen production and CO 2 reduction but also propose a superior and effective strategy for optimizing the structural properties of g‐C 3 N 4 , which are crucial for the design of photocatalytic reactions.