High activity of hot electrons from bulk 3D graphene materials for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production

Lu, YH (Lu, Yanhong)^{[ 1,2,3,6 ]} ; Ma, B (Ma, Bo)^[ 4,5 ] ; Yang, Y (Yang, Yang)^{[ 1,2,3,4,5 ]} ; Huang, EW (Huang, Erwei)^[ 4,5 ] ; Ge, Z (Ge, Zhen)^{[ 1,2,3,4,5 ]} ; Zhang, TF (Zhang, Tengfei)^{[ 1,2,3,4,5 ]} ; Zhang, SL (Zhang, Suling); Li, LD (Li, Landong)^[ 4,5 ] ; Guan, NJ (Guan, Naijia)^[ 4,5 ] ; Ma, YF (Ma, Yanfeng)^{[ 1,2,3,4,5 ]} ; Chen, YS (Chen, Yongsheng)^{[ 1,2,3,4,5 ]} 

NANO RESEARCH, 2017, 10(5): 1662-1672

DOI: 10.1007/s12274-016-1390-5

 WOS:000400005000015

Abstract:

Design and synthesis of efficient photocatalysts for hydrogen production via water splitting are of great importance from both theoretical and practical viewpoints. Many metal-based semiconductors have been explored for this purpose in recent decades. Here, for the first time, an entirely carbon-based material, bulk three-dimensionally cross-linked graphene (3DG), has been developed as a photocatalyst for hydrogen production. It exhibits a remarkable hydrogen production rate of 270 mu mol.h(-1).g(cat)(-1) under full-spectrum light via a hot/free electron emission mechanism. Furthermore, when combined with the widely used semiconductor TiO2 to form a TiO2/3DG composite, it appears to become a more efficient hydrogen production photocatalyst. The composite achieves a production rate of 1,205 mu mol.h(-1).g(cat)(-1) under ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) light and a 7.2% apparent quantum efficiency at 350 nm due to the strong synergetic effects between TiO2 and 3DG.