Synthesis of Full-Spectrum-Response Cu2(OH)PO4/g-C3N4 Photocatalyst with Outstanding Photocatalytic H2O2 Production Performance via a “Two Channel Route”

Near infrared, one of the most important parts of the solar spectrum, is seldom used in photocatalytic reactions. In this work, a full-spectrum-response Cu2(OH)PO4/g-C3N4 photocatalyst with outstanding photocatalytic H2O2 production performance was synthesized. On one hand, as a light absorber from UV to NIR, Cu2(OH)PO4 can form photogenerated electrons to recombine the holes in g-C3N4 through a "Z-scheme" mechanism. On the other hand, Cu2(OH)PO4 can adsorb O2 molecules, which is significantly important in the photocatalytic process. The Cu2(OH)PO4/g-C3N4 heterojunction catalyst with a Cu2(OH)PO4 of 20 wt % shows the H2O2 concentration of 7.2 mmol·L–1, over 13 and 31.3 times higher than that of neat g-C3N4 and Cu2(OH)PO4, respectively. The "two channel route" is proposed for this reaction system.