Layered Co(OH)2 Deposited Polymeric Carbon Nitrides for Photocatalytic Water Oxidation

Here we report a facile impregnation synthesis of layered Co(OH)2 deposited with g-C3N4 while the pH value is adjusted by using ammonia solution for photocatalytic water oxidation with UV–vis and visible light illumination. This surface modification not only accelerates the interface transfer rate of charge carriers but also reduces the excessive energy barrier for O–O formation, thus leading to enhanced reaction kinetics for photocatalytic water oxidation. The optimum oxygen evolution rates (OERs) of the Co(OH)2/g-C3N4 sample reached 27.4 and 7.1 μmol h–1 under UV–vis (λ >300 nm) and visible light (λ >420 nm) irradiation, which are 5.5 and 7 times faster than those for pristine g-C3N4, respectively. These results underline the possibility for the development of effective, robust, and earth-abundant WOCs for the promotion of water-splitting photocatalysis by sustainable g-C3N4 polymer photocatalysts.