Carbon nitride quantum dots decorated with cyano groups for boosting photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide production
The photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production by graphitic carbon nitride is a sustainable and environment-benign alternative approach of conventional anthraquinone autoxidation technology, but it is great challenges to promote two-electron O2 reduction and water oxidation. Herein, we prese...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | Green Energy & Environment |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468025725000044 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849418714733084672 |
|---|---|
| author | Ke Kong Hong Zhong Dejian Chen Fushuai Zhang Xiaoju Li Ruihu Wang |
| author_facet | Ke Kong Hong Zhong Dejian Chen Fushuai Zhang Xiaoju Li Ruihu Wang |
| author_sort | Ke Kong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production by graphitic carbon nitride is a sustainable and environment-benign alternative approach of conventional anthraquinone autoxidation technology, but it is great challenges to promote two-electron O2 reduction and water oxidation. Herein, we present the well-dispersed graphitic carbon nitride quantum dots decorated with cyano groups (Na-CNQD and K-CNQD) by thermal polymerization of melamine in the presence of metal fluoride. The quantum confinement and edge effect have endowed the photocatalysts with rich active sites, wide light absorption range and the inhibited charge recombination. The cyano moieties function as O2 reduction centers to accept the photogenerated electrons and facilitate their rapid transfer to O2 molecules. This process enables the selective two-electron reduction of O2, leading to the production of H2O2. Concurrently, the valence band holes on the heptazine moiety oxidize water into H2O2. These synergistic effects promote photocatalytic H2O2 production from O2 and H2O without the need for additional photosensitizers, organic scavengers and co-catalysts. In contrast, pristine carbon nitride nanosheets remain inactive under the same conditions. This study offers new strategies for rational design of carbon-based materials for solar-to-chemical energy conversion. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-89a87b2dbb0748bb958bfa15634dc70e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2468-0257 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Green Energy & Environment |
| spelling | doaj-art-89a87b2dbb0748bb958bfa15634dc70e2025-08-20T03:32:23ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Green Energy & Environment2468-02572025-07-011071551155810.1016/j.gee.2025.01.004Carbon nitride quantum dots decorated with cyano groups for boosting photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide productionKe Kong0Hong Zhong1Dejian Chen2Fushuai Zhang3Xiaoju Li4Ruihu Wang5Hebei Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300130, China; State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, ChinaKey Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Special Optoelectronic Artificial Crystal Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, Jiangxi, 343009, China; State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China; Corresponding authors. Key Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Special Optoelectronic Artificial Crystal Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, Jiangxi, 343009, China.State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, ChinaHebei Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300130, ChinaHebei Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300130, China; State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, ChinaHebei Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300130, China; Key Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Special Optoelectronic Artificial Crystal Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, Jiangxi, 343009, China; State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China; Corresponding authors. Key Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Special Optoelectronic Artificial Crystal Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, Jiangxi, 343009, China.The photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production by graphitic carbon nitride is a sustainable and environment-benign alternative approach of conventional anthraquinone autoxidation technology, but it is great challenges to promote two-electron O2 reduction and water oxidation. Herein, we present the well-dispersed graphitic carbon nitride quantum dots decorated with cyano groups (Na-CNQD and K-CNQD) by thermal polymerization of melamine in the presence of metal fluoride. The quantum confinement and edge effect have endowed the photocatalysts with rich active sites, wide light absorption range and the inhibited charge recombination. The cyano moieties function as O2 reduction centers to accept the photogenerated electrons and facilitate their rapid transfer to O2 molecules. This process enables the selective two-electron reduction of O2, leading to the production of H2O2. Concurrently, the valence band holes on the heptazine moiety oxidize water into H2O2. These synergistic effects promote photocatalytic H2O2 production from O2 and H2O without the need for additional photosensitizers, organic scavengers and co-catalysts. In contrast, pristine carbon nitride nanosheets remain inactive under the same conditions. This study offers new strategies for rational design of carbon-based materials for solar-to-chemical energy conversion.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468025725000044PhotocatalysisCarbon nitrideHydrogen peroxideQuantum dotsCyano groups |
| spellingShingle | Ke Kong Hong Zhong Dejian Chen Fushuai Zhang Xiaoju Li Ruihu Wang Carbon nitride quantum dots decorated with cyano groups for boosting photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide production Green Energy & Environment Photocatalysis Carbon nitride Hydrogen peroxide Quantum dots Cyano groups |
| title | Carbon nitride quantum dots decorated with cyano groups for boosting photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide production |
| title_full | Carbon nitride quantum dots decorated with cyano groups for boosting photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide production |
| title_fullStr | Carbon nitride quantum dots decorated with cyano groups for boosting photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide production |
| title_full_unstemmed | Carbon nitride quantum dots decorated with cyano groups for boosting photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide production |
| title_short | Carbon nitride quantum dots decorated with cyano groups for boosting photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide production |
| title_sort | carbon nitride quantum dots decorated with cyano groups for boosting photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide production |
| topic | Photocatalysis Carbon nitride Hydrogen peroxide Quantum dots Cyano groups |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468025725000044 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kekong carbonnitridequantumdotsdecoratedwithcyanogroupsforboostingphotocatalytichydrogenperoxideproduction AT hongzhong carbonnitridequantumdotsdecoratedwithcyanogroupsforboostingphotocatalytichydrogenperoxideproduction AT dejianchen carbonnitridequantumdotsdecoratedwithcyanogroupsforboostingphotocatalytichydrogenperoxideproduction AT fushuaizhang carbonnitridequantumdotsdecoratedwithcyanogroupsforboostingphotocatalytichydrogenperoxideproduction AT xiaojuli carbonnitridequantumdotsdecoratedwithcyanogroupsforboostingphotocatalytichydrogenperoxideproduction AT ruihuwang carbonnitridequantumdotsdecoratedwithcyanogroupsforboostingphotocatalytichydrogenperoxideproduction |