Phosphorylation of Polymeric Carbon Nitride Photoanodes with Increased Surface Valence Electrons for Solar Water Splitting

Abstract Overcoming the sluggish kinetics of the water oxidation is the key to a high performance for solar water splitting. Herein, phosphorylated polymeric carbon nitride (PCN) photoanodes were developed and showed enhanced photocurrent densities for solar water splitting. A photocatalytic efficiency of 120 μA cm −2 was achieved in the basic solution (1.0 m NaOH) without sacrificial agents. In this system, phosphates were ionically anchored on the surface of PCN, and the modified films showed significantly increased density of valence electrons, and thus promoting photocatalytic efficiency.