0D, 1D, 2D molybdenum disulfide functionalized by 2D polymeric carbon nitride for photocatalytic water splitting

Malgorzata Aleksandrzak; Martyna Baca; Michał Pacia; Karolina Wenelska; Beata Zielinska; Ryszard J Kalenczuk; Ewa Mijowska

doi:10.1088/1361-6528/ac04d3

0D, 1D, 2D molybdenum disulfide functionalized by 2D polymeric carbon nitride for photocatalytic water splitting

Nanotechnology. 2021 Jun 9;32(35). doi: 10.1088/1361-6528/ac04d3.

Authors

Malgorzata Aleksandrzak¹, Martyna Baca¹, Michał Pacia², Karolina Wenelska¹, Beata Zielinska¹, Ryszard J Kalenczuk¹, Ewa Mijowska¹

Affiliations

¹ Nanomaterials Physicochemistry Department, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Engineering, West Pomeranian University of Technology, Szczecin, Piastow Ave. 42, 71-065 Szczecin, Poland.
² Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Kraków, Poland.

PMID: 34034236
DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/ac04d3

Abstract

Photocatalytic activity of molybdenum disulfide structures with different dimensions (0D, 1D and 2D) functionalized with polymeric carbon nitride (PCN) is presented. MoS₂nanotubes (1D), nanoflakes (2D) and quantum dots (0D, QDs) were used, respectively, as co-catalysts of PCN in photocatalytic water splitting reaction to evolve hydrogen. Although, 2D-PCN showed the highest light absorption in visible range and the most enhanced photocurrent response after irradiation with light from 460 to 727 nm, QDs-PCN showed the highest photocatalytic efficiency. The detailed analysis revealed that the superior photocatalytic activity of QDs-PCN in comparison with other structures of MoS₂arose from (i) the most effective separation of photoexcited electron-hole pairs, (ii) the most enhanced up-converted photoluminescence (UCPL), (iii) the highest reactivity of electrons in conduction band. Moreover, a narrowed size of QDs affected shorter diffusion path of charge carriers to active reaction sites, higher number of the sites and higher interfacial area between molybdenum disulfide and PCN.

Keywords: hydrogen evolution; molybdenum disulfide; photocatalysis; polymeric carbon nitride.