One-step construction of FeOx modified g-C3N4 for largely enhanced visible-light photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Incorporation of FeOx in graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) usually resulted in limited improvements in the photocatalytic activity due to the possible reactions between iron and g-C3N4 during synthesis. Herein, using ferrocene and urea as the precursors of FeOx and graphitic carbon nitride, respectively, a new kind of FeOx modified g-C3N4 photocatalysts has been prepared by a facile one-step calcination procedure. We here, for the first time, report the much-enhanced efficacy of FeOx modified g-C3N4 in the visible light-driven photocatalytic H2 production. The peak H2 production rate of 108 μmol h−1 has been obtained at optimized loading amount of FeOx in the composites, which is about 4.2 times of that on the pure g-C3N4 obtained from urea. This remarkable improvement can be attributed to the enhanced visible light absorbance, improved surface area and charge carrier separation and transfer ability.