Affiliation:
1. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Institute of Advanced Functional Materials for Energy Jiangsu University of Technology Changzhou 213001 China
2. School of Materials Science and Engineering Zhejiang University Hangzhou 310027 China
3. Institute for Frontier Materials Deakin University Waurn Ponds VIC 3216 Australia
4. School of Science STEM College RMIT University Melbourne VIC 3000 Australia
Abstract
AbstractEnhancing the utilization of visible‐light‐active semiconductors with an excellent apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) remains a significant and challenging goal in the realm of photocatalytic water splitting. In this study, a fully condensed sulfur‐doped poly(heptazine imide) metalized with Na (Na‐SPHI) is synthesized by an ionothermal method by using eutectic NaCl/LiCl mixture as the ionic solvent. Comprehensive characterizations of the obtained Na‐SPHI reveal several advantageous features, including heightened light absorption, facilitated exciton dissociation, and expedited charge transfer. More importantly, solvated electron, powerful reducing agents, can be generated on the surface of Na‐SPHI upon irradiation with visible light. Benefiting from above advantage, the Na‐SPHI exhibits an excellent H2 evolution rate of 571.8 µmol·h−1 under visible light illumination and a super‐high AQE of 61.7% at 420 nm. This research emphasizes the significance of the solvated electron on the surface of photocatalyst in overcoming the challenges associated with visible light‐driven photocatalysis, showcasing its potential application in photocatalytic water splitting.