Synergistic Dual-cocatalyst Modified TiO₂/g-C₃N₄ Heterojunctions for Efficient Photocatalytic Overall Water Splitting

Abstract

The development of heterojunction photocatalysts with highly efficient charge separation is essential for achieving solar-driven overall water splitting without sacrificial agents. In this work, a well-defined Type-II TiO₂/g-C₃N₄ heterojunction was constructed and co-loaded with Pt nanoparticles and MnOx as hydrogen and oxygen evolution cocatalysts, respectively, forming a Pt-P/CN-MnX composite. The optimized Pt-P/CN-Mn30 sample exhibited broadened visible-light absorption (up to 600 nm) and a notably reduced charge recombination rate. Under the irradiation of simulated sunlight, it achieved a hydrogen evolution rate of 530.6 μmol·g^–1·h^–1, 10.3, 5.0 and 2.7 times higher than those of g-C₃N₄-Mn3%, P25-Pt2% and P25/CN, respectively, without sacrificial agents. Moreover, the photocatalyst retained over 79.75% of its activity after six cycles, demonstrating excellent stability. Mechanistic analysis revealed efficient spatial charge separation, with electrons transferring from g-C₃N₄ to TiO₂ and holes migrating toward MnO_x. These synergistic effects significantly enhanced redox kinetics. This study presents a novel dual-cocatalyst strategy for multi-interface photocatalysis and provides valuable insights into designing high-performance systems for sustainable water splitting.

Keywords

Type-II heterojunction / Dual cocatalyst / Overall water splitting / Photocatalysis

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RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Jilin University, The Editorial Department of Chemical Research in Chinese Universities and Springer-Verlag GmbH