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Decoration of mesoporous graphite-like C3N4 nanosheets by NiS nanoparticle-driven visible light for hydrogen evolution

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Abstract

Separation of photogenerated electrons from holes is an important factor that increases hydrogen evolution rate in the water splitting reaction. This recombination prevention can be achieved by co-catalyst’s deposition onto the semiconductor material’s surfaces. In this contribution, synthesis of mesoporous C3N4 of graphite-like structure by a combustion technique employing high mesoporous silica as a template has been achieved. Subsequently, NiS nanoparticles were decorated as g-C3N4 nanosheets at various NiS contents (5–20%). the photocatalytic efficiency of the prepared NiS/g-C3N4 nanocomposites was investigated and compared with those of pure NiS and g-C3N4 for evolution of hydrogen using glycerol as a scavenger upon visible light illumination. The findings indicated that the content of deposited NiS nanoparticles onto g-C3N4 is significant in the enhancement of the photocatalytic response of g-C3N4. 15% NiS/g-C3N4 nanocomposite is the optimized photocatalyst and its photocatalytic activity is larger than both NiS and g-C3N4 by about 48 and 114 times, respectively. 15% NiS/g-C3N4 nanocomposite has photocatalytic stability up to five times. The enrichment of the photocatalytic efficiency of NiS/g-C3N4 photocatalyst could be attributed to the presence of NiS nanoparticles as co-catalyst, which enables efficient charge carrier separation of g-C3N4, mesostructure, large surface area and narrow band gap.

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Acknowledgements

This project was funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research (DSR) at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, under grant no. RG-18-130-38. The authors, therefore, acknowledge DSR for technical and financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah, 21589, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    Mohammad W. Kadi & Reda M. Mohamed

  2. Advanced Materials Department, Central Metallurgical R&D Institute, CMRDI, P.O. Box 87, Helwan, Cairo, 11421, Egypt

    Reda M. Mohamed & Adel. A. Ismail

  3. Photocatalysis and Nanotechnology Unit, Institute of Technical Chemistry, Leibniz Hannover University, Callinstr. 3, 30167, Hannover, Germany

    Adel. A. Ismail & Delft. W. Bahnemann

  4. Photoactive Nanocomposite Materials, Saint-Petersburg, State University, Ulyanovskaya Str, Peterhof, Saint-Petersburg, 198504, Russia

    Delft. W. Bahnemann

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  1. Mohammad W. Kadi
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Correspondence to Reda M. Mohamed.

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Kadi, M.W., Mohamed, R.M., Ismail, A.A. et al. Decoration of mesoporous graphite-like C3N4 nanosheets by NiS nanoparticle-driven visible light for hydrogen evolution. Appl Nanosci 8, 1587–1596 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13204-018-0835-4

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