MOF-templated in-situ fabrication of surface modified Ni/graphitic carbon nitride with enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Fabrication of noble-metal-free and low cost photoctalyst with high efficiency has been under increasing demand in solar energy usage and conversion. In this work, a series of surface modified Ni/graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) photocatalysts derived from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) were synthesized by in-situ prolysis Ni based benzenedicarboxylic acid Ni2(BDC)2 in the presence of graphitic carbon nitride under Ar protection. The as-prepared samples displayed high efficient H2 evolution performance under visible light irradiation, with the maximum H2 production rate of 2989.5 μmol g-1 h-1, which is about 22.1 times higher than the value of pure carbon nitride (135.2 μmol g-1 h-1). This exceptional enhanced photocatalytic activity origined from tightly bonding between Ni cocatalyst and g-C3N4, fast and efficient electron transfer with the help of conductive carbon loaded on the surface of Ni species during Ni2(BDC)2 pyrolysis.