Optimizing Electron Configuration of Cobalt‐Based Cocatalysts Supported by Carbon Nitride Nanosheets to Achieve Enhanced Photocatalytic Water Oxidation

Cobalt‐based materials are promising cocatalysts applied to polymeric carbon nitride (PCN) photocatalysts to achieve water oxidation due to their cost‐effectiveness and comparable activity to Ru and Ir‐based metal oxides. Herein, by optimizing the electron configuration of cobalt‐based materials, a novel oxygen evolution cocatalyst: cobalt disulfide (CoS2) was developed to hybridize with PCN. A series of experimental and theoretical studies reveal that loading CoS2 on PCN contributes to improving photo‐induced charge carrier transportation and reducing activation energy of the oxygen evolution reaction, thus achieving a significantly enhanced photocatalytic performance than the pure PCN. Furthermore, due to the more satisfactory electronic configuration of CoS2, the photocatalytic oxygen evolution rate of CoS2/CNNS hybrid is even more than 1 time higher than that of Co3O4/CNNS hybrid.