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Metal atom-induced microenvironment regulation in polymeric carbon nitride for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

金属原子诱导的微环境调控在聚合氮化碳光催化析氢中的研究

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Abstract

Developing high-efficiency and stable semiconductor photocatalysts is crucial for realizing the practical applications of photocatalysis. Polymeric carbon nitride (CN) has been verified as a promising candidate for photocatalytic H2 evolution due to a series of outstanding physicochemical properties. Over the past decade, significant progress has been made in enhancing the photocatalytic H2 evolution of CN-based photocatalysts through various strategies based on thermodynamics or kinetics. Recently, metal atom decoration has provided a new avenue for modifying CN by precisely regulating its microenvironment. This paper provides a comprehensive review of recent advancements in metal atom-decorated CN photocatalysts for photocatalytic H2 evolution via water splitting, encompassing single metal atom decorated CN, dual metal atoms decorated CN, and single metal atom and cluster co-decorated CN, in which the vital roles of metal atoms are highlighted. Furthermore, the challenges and opportunities in the development of advanced CN-supported metal atom photocatalysts are thoroughly summarized.

摘要

开发高效稳定的半导体光催化剂对光催化技术迈向实际应用至 关重要. 聚合物氮化碳(CN)因其优异的物理化学性质而被视为最具发 展前景的制氢光催化剂之一. 在过去几十年中, 从热力学或动力学角度 开发的一系列改性策略已经显著提升了CN的光催化制氢性能. 近期, 金属原子修饰策略为CN改性提供了一条新途径, 这种策略可以精确调 控CN的微环境. 本文全面回顾了金属原子修饰的CN光催化剂在光催 化分解水制氢领域的最新研究进展, 包括金属单原子修饰的CN、金属 双原子修饰的CN、金属单原子与团簇共修饰的CN, 重点阐述了金属 原子对提升光催化性能的关键作用. 此外, 本文还全面总结了发展先进 的金属原子修饰的CN光催化剂所面临的挑战与机遇.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (52225606 and 52172248), Shenzhen Science and Technology Program (2023A010), the “Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities”, and “The Youth Innovation Team of Shaanxi Universities”.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Advanced Energy, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China

    Daming Zhao  (赵大明) & Yuxiao Yang  (杨雨骁)

  2. International Research Center for Renewable Energy, State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710049, China

    Shaohua Shen  (沈少华)

  3. Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser (IESL), Vasilika Vouton, Heraklion, GR-71110, Greece

    Vasileios Binas

  4. Physical Chemistry Laboratory, Chemistry Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 54124, Greece

    Vasileios Binas

Authors
  1. Daming Zhao  (赵大明)
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  2. Yuxiao Yang  (杨雨骁)
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  3. Vasileios Binas
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  4. Shaohua Shen  (沈少华)
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Contributions

Author contributions Zhao D and Shen S wrote the paper; Yang Y prepared the figures; Shen S and Binas V conceived the idea and supervised the project. All authors contributed to the general discussion.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shaohua Shen  (沈少华).

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Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Daming Zhao received his PhD degree in engineering from the International Research Center for Renewable Energy, State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University in 2020. He is currently an associate professor at Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University. He has always been committed to the research and development of photocatalytic/photoelectrochemical solar chemical conversion, and has published many first-authored papers in top journals such as Nature Energy and Advanced Materials.

Shaohua Shen obtained his Bachelor degree in applied chemistry in 2004 and PhD degree in thermal engineering in 2010 from Xi’an Jiaotong University. During 2008–2009 and 2011–2012, he worked as a guest researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California at Berkeley. He is currently a professor at Xi’an Jiaotong University, China, honored the National Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars, China Youth Science and Technology Award, National Top-notch Young Professionals and Young Scholars of the Yangtze River in China. His research interests include the synthesis of nanomaterials and the development of devices for photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical solar energy conversion.

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Zhao, D., Yang, Y., Binas, V. et al. Metal atom-induced microenvironment regulation in polymeric carbon nitride for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Sci. China Mater. 67, 1765–1779 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-024-2870-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-024-2870-1

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