Heterostructuring noble-metal-free 1T' phase MoS2 with g-C3N4 hollow nanocages to improve the photocatalytic H2 evolution activity
Yanjun Xue, Yinghong Ji, Xinyu Wang, Huanli Wang, Xiaobo Chen, Xiaoli Zhang, Jian Tian
Abstract
In this work, we report the preparation of 1T'-MoS2/g-C3N4 nanocage (NC) heterostructure by loading 2D semi-metal noble-metal-free 1T'-MoS2 on the g-C3N4 nanocages (NCs). DFT calculation and experimental data have shown that the 1T'-MoS2/g-C3N4 NC heterostructure has a stronger light absorption capacity and larger specific surface area than pure g-C3N4 NCs and g-C3N4 nanosheets (NSs), and the presence of the co-catalysts 1T'-MoS2 can effectively inhibit the photoinduced carrier recombination. As a result, the 1T'-MoS2/g-C3N4 NC heterostructure with an optimum 1T'-MoS2 loading of 9 wt% displays a hydrogen evolution rate of 1949 μmol·h−1·g−1, 162.4, 1.2, 1.5, 1.6 and 1.2 times than pure g-C3N4 NCs (12 μmol·h−1·g−1), Pt/g-C3N4 NCs (1615 μmol·h−1·g−1) and Pt/g-C3N4 nanosheets (NSs, 1297 μmol·h−1·g−1), 1T'-MoS2/g-C3N4 nanosheets (1216 μmol·h−1·g−1) and 2H-MoS2/g-C3N4 nanocages (1573 μmol·h−1·g−1), respectively, and exhibits excellent cycle stability. Therefore, 1T'-MoS2/g-C3N4 NC heterostructure is a suitable photocatalyst for green H2 production.