W18O49 nanowires grown on g-C3N4 sheets with enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity under visible light

Abstract A hybrid nanomaterial comprising of one-dimensional W 18 O 49 nanowires grown on two-dimensional g-C 3 N 4 sheets was prepared by a facile solvothermal process. Photocatalytic activity of these materials for H 2 generation under visible light was evaluated. The optimum efficiency of W 18 O 49 /g-C 3 N 4 composite photocatalyst at a mass content of 30% was up to 4.5 times as high as that of the pure g-C 3 N 4 . The significantly enhanced performance of W 18 O 49 /g-C 3 N 4 composites was mainly attributed to the synergistic effect between the interface of W 18 O 49 nanowires and g-C 3 N 4 sheets, involving stronger light absorption in the visible range, faster transfer and more efficient separation of the photo-generated electron-hole pairs. In short, the W 18 O 49 /g-C 3 N 4 hybrid nanomaterial was demonstrated to be an effective photocatalyst for H 2 production.