Mechanistic insight the visible light driven hydrogen generation by plasmonic Au-Cu alloy mounted on TiO2 @B-doped g-C3N4 heterojunction photocatalyst

TitleMechanistic insight the visible light driven hydrogen generation by plasmonic Au-Cu alloy mounted on TiO2 @B-doped g-C3N4 heterojunction photocatalyst
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2022
AuthorsBabu, P, Dash, SRanjan, Parida, K
JournalJournal of Alloys and Compounds
Volume909
Pagination164754
Date PublishedJUL
Type of ArticleArticle
ISSN0925-8388
KeywordsDoped carbon nitride, hydrogen production, LSPR, P-n junction, Photocatalysis, Plasmonic alloy
Abstract

Designing of two dimensional surfaces and interfaces with light-active materials has been established as a versatile approach to increase their photocatalytic activity. In the present work, n-type anatase TiO2 coupled with p-type B-doped g-C3N4 nanosheet (BCN) were fabricated and Au-Cu nanoalloy with varying atomic ratio were deposited on the p-n heterojunction. The incorporation of Au-Cu on the interface of the dyad enhances light absorption over broad regime, charge separation, and migration. Au-Cu with 1:1 ratio (with an average particle size of 1.2 nm) loaded p-n hetrojunction (TBCAC-1:1) shows excellent photocurrent enhancement (approximately 4.4-folds) in the cathodic direction as compared to their monometallic plasmonic counterpart. Additionally, the catalyst shows photocurrent at zero biased potential as well as lower onset potential as compared to the other alloy. TBCAC-1:1 photocatalyst could able to produce 2150 mu mol h(-1)g(-1) of hydrogen, which is (approximately 3-folds) as compared to their monometallic counterparts. The hydrogen evolution process for Au-Cu (1:1) system was found to be governed by the charge distribution which dictates the binding preference of the Au and Cu sites leading to the water splitting as investigated by DFT calculation. The excellent hydrogen generation by the photocatalyst links to the synergistic effect between Au and Cu associated with the hot electron photochemistry due to surface plasmon resonance phenomenon. (C) 2022 Published by Elsevier B.V.

DOI10.1016/j.jallcom.2022.164754
Type of Journal (Indian or Foreign)

Foreign

Impact Factor (IF)

6.371

Divison category: 
Physical and Materials Chemistry
Database: 
Web of Science (WoS)

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