Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol.97, No.6, 1821-1827, 2019
Integration of metallic TaS2 Co-catalyst on carbon nitride photoharvester for enhanced photocatalytic performance
The efficient separation of photogenerated electron-hole (e(-)-h(+)) pairs is the key point for photocatalytic reactions. The integration of co-catalysts, especially noble-metals, can improve the e(-)-h(+) separation efficiency dramatically. However, the high-cost would limit their large-scale application. Therefore, the exploration of noble-metal-free co-catalysts is still important for the development of photocatalysis. In this work, we report a series of metallic TaS2 based catalysts that can effectively boost the photocatalytic performance of a metal-free semiconductor (2D-C3N4). The advantages of the as-prepared catalysts were demonstrated as follows: (i) noble-metal-free; (ii) outstanding electrical conductivity; and (iii) superior stability. As demonstrated in a photocatalytic degradation reaction, the optimal removal rate of pollutant Rhodamine B (RhB) reached 92 % after 100 min of irradiation, which is enhanced by almost 25 % more than pure two-dimensional graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets (2D-C3N4). This work may provide insight into finding new low-cost metallic materials as co-catalysts to promote phototcatalytic performance.