Noble-metal-free molybdenum phosphide co-catalyst loaded graphitic carbon nitride for efficient photocatalysis under simulated irradiation.

Graphical abstract Highlights • The MoP/CN samples exhibit superior activity in CO 2 reduction and H 2 evolution. • The CO 2 adsorption and conversion progress is well revealed in the photoreaction. • The efficient co-catalyst MoP facilitates the separation and transfer of charges. Abstract Photoreduction CO 2 to hydrocarbons and photosplitting water for H 2 production are the most promising, sustainable approaches for environmental pollution alleviation and solar-to-chemical energy conversion. However, developing low-cost, high efficient and stable photocatalysts remains a great challenge. Herein, we reported a novel visible-light activated MoP co-catalyst loaded g-C 3 N 4 photocatalyst for CO 2 reduction and water splitting under simulated irradiation firstly. Experimental results demonstrated that the composites were highly active and exhibited superior stability. The maximum CO and H 2 evolution rates of 0.92 μmol h−1 and 40.38 μmol h−1 were achieved on MoP/CN-15% catalyst, which were 4.5-fold and 74.5-fold higher than the pure g-C 3 N 4 , and the corresponding apparent quantum efficiencies (AQE) were 3.5% and 18.3% at 420 nm, respectively. In situ FTIR analysis disclosed the CO 2 adsorption and conversion progress, in which the COO− acted as a major intermediate. Furthermore, comprehensive characterization analysis revealed the introduction of MoP facilitated the separation and transfer of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, and the theoretical calculation by density functional theory (DFT) also confirmed that MoP could effectively separate the photoexcited charges from g-C 3 N 4. Combining with experimental and DFT calculations results, a new way to design cost-effective photocatalysts has been enlightened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]