Photocatalytic hydrogen generation from a methanol–water mixture in the presence of g-C3N4 and graphene/g-C3N4

Wassila Touati; Mohamed Karmaoui; Ahmed Bekka; Miroslava Filip Edelmannová; Clarisse Furgeaud; Alaoui Chakib; Imene kadi Allah; Bruno Figueiredo; J. A. Labrincha; Raul Arenal; Kamila Koci; David Maria Tobaldi

doi:10.1039/D2NJ04275D

Photocatalytic hydrogen generation from a methanol–water mixture in the presence of g-C₃N₄ and graphene/g-C₃N₄†

Wassila Touati,

‡*^a Mohamed Karmaoui,^ae Ahmed Bekka,^a Miroslava Filip Edelmannová,‡^g Clarisse Furgeaud,^bc Alaoui Chakib,

^a Imene kadi Allah,^a Bruno Figueiredo,^d J. A. Labrincha,^e Raul Arenal,

^bcf Kamila Koci*^g and David Maria Tobaldi

^h

Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

^a Laboratoire de Chimie des Matériaux Inorganiques Et Applications, Faculté de Chimie, Université des Sciences Et de la Technologie d’Oran, El-Mnaouer, Algeria
E-mail: wassila.touati@univ-usto.dz

^b Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragon (INMA), CSIC-Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain

^c Laboratorio de Microscopias Avanzadas (LMA), U. Zaragoza, C/Mariano Esquillor s/n, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain

^d Graphenest, Lugar da Estação, Paradela do Vouga, Edifício Vouga Park 3740-070, Portugal

^e Department of Materials and Ceramic Engineering/CICECO–Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal

^f ARAID Foundation, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain

^g Institute of Environmental Technology, CEET, VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17.listopadu 15/2172, Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic
E-mail: Kamila.Koci@vsb.cz

^h Nanotechnology Institute, CNR-Nanotec, Via Monteroni, Lecce 73100, Italy

Abstract

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄), possessing high thermal and chemical stability, non-toxicity, facile synthesis, and low band gap energy is a promising candidate for photocatalytic applications. In this study, bulk and exfoliated g-C₃N₄ were synthesised from different precursors (melamine and urea). Moreover, the surface of bulk g-C₃N₄ and exfoliated g-C₃N₄ was modified with graphene (0.5 wt% and 1 wt%) aiming to obtain a prolonged carrier lifetime. The effect of g-C₃N₄ synthesis from various precursors and the influence of graphene content on the photocatalytic activity during the degradation of a water–methanol mixture under UVC irradiation were examined, in comparison to commercial P25. Hydrogen, methane and carbon monoxide were the decomposition products; hydrogen was the main product of decomposition, whereas CH₄ and CO resulting from the reduction of CO₂ were generated in a significantly smaller amount. All the produced photocatalysts, whether pure or modified with graphene, exhibited higher activity than the commercial photocatalyst P25.

New Journal of Chemistry

Photocatalytic hydrogen generation from a methanol–water mixture in the presence of g-C₃N₄ and graphene/g-C₃N₄†

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Photocatalytic hydrogen generation from a methanol–water mixture in the presence of g-C₃N₄ and graphene/g-C₃N₄

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