Strongly coupled NH2NH-modified high crystallinity Graphene quantum dots/Carbon Nitride for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

For the application of photocatalysis, the development of noble metal-free cocatalysts is crucial. Here, a simple molecular fusion method was employed to create high crystallinity GQDs with the –NHNH2 modification, which were then used as an effective metal-free cocatalyst in the photocatalytic H2 evolution reaction. The modified –NHNH2 Lewis base active sites, the quick charge separation channels, and the improved electric conductivity allowed the optimized NHNH2-GQDs/PUCN sample to exhibit an H2 evolution rate of 204.2 μmol g−1 h−1, which is an 80-fold greater activity than that of pure PUCN. This work will provide insights into the design of metal-free cocatalysts for photocatalytic H2 evolution applications.