2D Ag modified g-C3N4/1D CdS-diethylenetriamine S-scheme heterojunction with enhanced photocatalytic H2O2 production

doi:10.1016/S1872-2067(26)65174-1

Abstract

Abstract:

Photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) production has emerged as an optimized pathway for sustainable energy conversion and environmental remediation. However, the severe carrier recombination in single semiconductors significantly restricts its efficiency. To resolve this issue, Ag-modified g-C₃N₄ (Ag-PCN) was prepared via an impregnation-pyrolysis method, and the Ag-PCN/CdS-diethylenetriamine (Ag-PCN/CdS-D) S-scheme heterojunction was further constructed with CdS-D through a hydrothermal route, which effectively enhanced the photocatalytic H₂O₂ production (PHP) activity. This improvement is attributed to the fact that the introduction of Ag nanoparticles and diethylenetriamine not only optimizes visible light absorption but plays a crucial role in regulating the band structure and facilitating charge transfer. Furthermore, the 1D nanorods are anchored onto the 2D nanosheets to form a heterostructure. Such a unique S-scheme heterojunction enables efficient carrier separation at the PCN/CdS interface, resulting in a significant improvement in the PHP performance. Finally, the optimized Ag-PCN/CdS-D heterojunction exhibited an H₂O₂ yield of 3128 μmol g^-1 h^-1 in pure water, which was higher than those of pure PCN (35.64 μmol g^-1 h^-1) and CdS-D (2398 μmol g^-1 h^-1). This work lays the groundwork for the rational design of and construction of high-performance photocatalysts for H₂O₂ production.

Key words: Photocatalytic H₂O₂ production, S-scheme heterojunction, Ag-modified g-C₃N₄, CdS-diethylenetriamine

Haoran Chen, Junwei Fu, Graham Dawson, Jinfeng Zhang, Qingpo Peng, Kai Dai. 2D Ag modified g-C₃N₄/1D CdS-diethylenetriamine S-scheme heterojunction with enhanced photocatalytic H₂O₂ production[J]. Chinese Journal of Catalysis, 2026, 90: 231-242.

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https://www.cjcatal.com/EN/Y2026/V90/I11/231

Figures/Tables 6

Fig. 1. Schematic illustration of the synthetic route for 10%Ag-PCN/CdS-D.

Fig. 2. (a) XRD pattern of PCN, Ag-PCN, 10%Ag-PCN/CdS-D, and CdS-D. (b) FT-IR spectra of Ag-PCN and the 10%Ag-PCN/CdS-D. (c) Photoluminescence spectra of samples. (d-g) SEM images of PCN, Ag-PCN, CdS-D, 10%Ag-PCN/CdS-D. TEM (h) and HRTEM (i) images of 10%Ag-PCN/CdS-D. (j) Elemental mapping of 10%Ag-PCN/CdS-D.

Fig. 3. (a) The XPS spectra of pristine Ag-PCN, 10%Ag-PCN/CdS-D, and CdS-D. The survey XPS spectra: (b) Cd 3d, (c) C 1s, (d) S 2p, (e) N 1s, (f) Ag 3d.

Fig. 4. (a) N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms of the prepared samples. (b) SBET of PCN, Ag-PCN, 10%Ag-PCN/CdS-D, and CdS-D. UV-vis DRS (c) and corresponding profiles (d) derived from the transformed Kubelka-Munk model as a function of incident photon energy for the as-fabricated specimens. (e) Mott-Schottky plots for CdS-D. (f) Mott-Schottky plots for Ag-PCN. (g) The band structure of Ag-PCN and CdS-D. (h) Photocurrent-time curves of photocatalysts. (i) Nyquist plots of electrochemical impedance spectra.

Fig. 5. (a) The catalytic PHP performance graph. (b) The productions of H2O2 with prolonged reaction time. (c) Comparison of H2O2 production by 10%Ag-PCN/CdS-D under different conditions over 1 h: H2O, EDTA (0.5 mmol L-1), NBT (0.06 mmol L-1), and AgNO3 (0.5 mmol L-1). (d) Control tests: air atmosphere, Ar atmosphere and O2 atmosphere. (e) •O2- was registered by EPR capture tests under photoirradiation. (f) In situ FT-IR spectra of 10%Ag-PCN/CdS-D in photocatalytic reaction.

Fig. 6. Electrostatic potentials of Ag-PCN (001) (a) and CdS-D (002) (b) surface. (c) Bader charge analysis of Ag-PCN absorbed with CdS-D. (d) The charge enrichment in yellow regions and charge consumption in cyan regions. (e) The charge migration pathway of S-scheme heterojunction.

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2D Ag modified g-C₃N₄/1D CdS-diethylenetriamine S-scheme heterojunction with enhanced photocatalytic H₂O₂ production

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