Nitrogen Doped Carbon Quantum Dots/Titanium Dioxide Composites for Hydrogen Evolution under Sunlight

doi:10.15541/jim20150087

Abstract

Abstract:

Using acetonitrile as the solvent and glucose as the raw material, nitrogen doped carbon quantum dots (NCDs) were prepared by the solvothermal method. The size of NCDs is around 4 nm. The emission spectrum of NCDs showed red shift when the excitation wavelength of quantum dots increased from 330 nm to 470 nm. Titanium dioxide was coated by NCDs by mixing a certain proportion of NCDs, TiO₂ and ultrapure water through 60 min ultrasonic and aging under 80℃ for 24 h. NCDs/titanium dioxide composites show good photocatalyst performance as compared with pure NCDs and pure titanium dioxide, because the NCDs can expand the absorption spectrum and reduce the photogenerated electrons and holes. The NCDs/TiO₂ composites at the raw ratio of m(NCDs):m(TiO₂)=15:85 show the best hydrogen evolution performance, using methanol as the sacrificial agent. The composite material displays good stability and certain photocatalytic performance after three cycles.

Key words: nitrogen doped carbon quantum dots, nitrogen doped carbon quantum dots/titanium dioxide composite, hydrogen evolution under sunlight, solvothermal reaction

CLC Number:

TQ127

WEI Jie, LI Xue-Dong, WANG Hong-Zhi, ZHANG Qing-Hong, LI Yao-Gang. Nitrogen Doped Carbon Quantum Dots/Titanium Dioxide Composites for Hydrogen Evolution under Sunlight[J]. Journal of Inorganic Materials, 2015, 30(9): 925-930.

Figures/Tables 15

Fig. 1 TEM image of nitrogen doped carbon quantum dots

Fig. 2 Fluorescence emission and excitation spectra of nitrogen doped carbon quantum dots

Fig. 3 Ultraviolet absorption spectrum of NCDs Inset shows the NCDs solution under daylight lamp and 365 nm excitation

Fig. 4 Infrared spectrum of NCDs

Fig. 5 XPS spectra of NCDs((a) Full scan spectrum, (b) C1s and (c) N1s)

Fig. 6 HRTEM image of NCDs/TiO2 composite

Fig. 7 SEM image of NCDs/TiO2 composite

Fig. 8 UV-visible absorption spectra of NCDs/TiO2 composite and pure TiO2

Fig. 9 Room temperature photoluminescence spectra of NCDs/TiO2 composite excited by the light with wavelength of 365 nm

Fig. 10 Stability study of photocatalytic time course of hydrogen production for the composites prepared at weight ratio of m(NCDs): m(TiO2)=15: 85 The black line indicates using photocatalysis to produce hydrogen for the first time. The red line indicates the second time, and the blue line indicates the third time

Fig. 11 Comparison of the photocatalytic hydrogen production activities of pure NCDs, pure TiO2 and NCDs/ TiO2 compound under sunlight

References 13

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