Construction of Cu7.2S4/g-C3N4 photocatalyst for efficient NIR photocatalysis of H2 production

Graphite-like carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has been regarded as a promising photocatalyst for solar-to-chemical conversion. Nevertheless, the narrow absorption of light extremely limited its photocatalytic performance under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation. Herein, the Cu7.2S4 with outstanding NIR absorption was successfully introduced to g-C3N4 nanosheets through a simple in-situ growth procedure. As expected, the constructed Cu7.2S4/g-C3N4 (CSCN) photocatalysts exhibit superior H2 production activity of 82 μmol g−1 h−1 under NIR light irradiation (λ > 800 nm), which outperforms currently reported g–C3N4–based NIR-driven H2 production systems. Especially, the optimal sample CSCN-5 displays a robust activity of 66 μmol g−1 h−1 at λ = 850 nm monochromatic light irradiation. The excellent photocatalytic performance is linked to the extended optical absorption as well as the efficient separation efficiency of photoinduced carriers, which are evidenced by the UV-visible absorption spectroscopy and photoelectrochemical test. This work provides an effective approach for constructing a Cu7.2S4/g-C3N4 photocatalytic system for the transformation of NIR solar energy into hydrogen.