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Graphitic carbon nitride is considered as an ideal semiconductor material for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution due to its suitable energy band structure, durability and environmental friendliness. To further improve the catalytic performance of g-C3N4, nickel phosphide-loaded one-dimensional tubular carbon nitride (Ni2P/TCN) was prepared by thermal polymerization and photo deposition. The beneficial effect of the one-dimensional tubular structure on hydrogen generation was mainly attributed to its larger specific surface area (increased light absorption) as well as the linear movement of the carriers, which reduced their diffusion distance to the surface and facilitated the separation of photogenerated carriers. The loading of Ni2P co-catalyst improved the visible light utilization efficiency and enabled the migration of photogenerated electrons towards Ni2P, which ultimately reacted with the enhanced adsorbed H+ on the Ni2P surface to facilitate the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution process. This study provides new clues for the further development of efficient, environmentally friendly and low-cost g-C3N4 catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]