Time-Resolved Spectroscopic Investigation of Charge Trapping in Carbon Nitrides Photocatalysts for Hydrogen Generation

Carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ) as a benchmark polymer photocatalyst is attracting significant research interest because of its visible light photocatalytic performance combined with good stability and facile synthesis. However, little is known about the fundamental photophysical processes of g-C 3 N 4 , which are key to explain and promote photoactivity. Using time-resolved absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopies, we have investigated the photophysics of a series of carbon nitrides on time scales ranging from femtoseconds to seconds. Free charge carriers form within a 200 fs excitation pulse, trap on the picosecond time scale with trap states in a range of energies, and then recombine with power law…

• RS
  Royal Society

  Award: NA150418
• EA
  Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

  Awards: EP/I004424/1, EP/I004424/1, EP/N009533/1, EP/N009533/1
• SF
  Seventh Framework Programme

  Award: 291482