One-step synthesis of sulfur-doped and nitrogen-deficient g-C3N4 photocatalyst for enhanced hydrogen evolution under visible light

• S-doped and N-deficient g-C3N4 with porous framework was prepared by a facile method.
• The H2-evolution rate is 12 times as high as that on g-C3N4 under visible light.
• The structural and electronic reconstruction contributes to the enhanced activity.

A highly photoactive sulfur-doped and nitrogen-deficient g-C3N4 photocatalyst with porous framework has been prepared by a one-step approach using trithiocyanuric acid as the precursor. It is found that the as-synthesized catalyst exhibits an enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity for H2 production. The H2-evolution rate on the modified g-C3N4 is 121 μmol/h, which is ca. 12 times as high as that over pristine g-C3N4. Characterization results show that the sulfur doping induces nitrogen vacancies and hierarchical microspores in g-C3N4. Such a structural reconstruction is beneficial for improving optical absorption and hindering photoinduced charge recombination on g-C3N4, resulting in the enhanced photocatalytic activity.