In-situ construction of g-C3N4/LaPO4 S-scheme heterostructure with nitrogen vacancy for boosting photocatalytic reduction of CO2

It is a realizable way to enhance the performance of photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide by constructing S-scheme heterojunctions due to its unique interfacial structures. In this article, g-C ₃N ₄/LaPO ₄ heterojunctions with surface nitrogen vacancies were prepared by in-situ one-pot hydrothermal method. The experimental results show that the generation rate of carbon monoxide produced via the best g-C ₃N ₄/LaPO ₄ heterojunction is 145.8μmol g ⁻¹ h ⁻¹, which is 4.0 times and 11.2 times as large as pure g-C ₃N ₄ and LaPO ₄, respectively. The heterojunction structure is characterized by UPS, in situ XPS and DFT calculation. The construction of S-scheme heterojunction can efficiently promote the separation of photogenerated electron holes and improve the redox capacity to boost photocatalytic activity. Furthermore, nitrogen vacancy in g-C ₃N ₄/LaPO ₄ heterojunction could provide more reaction active sites, which is conductive to the absorption, distribution and activation of CO ₂ and H ₂O molecules. In summary, this advancement opens up a promising avenue for the development of more potent photocatalysts, offering potential solutions for environmental and energy-related applications.