Synergy of Dopants and Defects in Graphitic Carbon Nitride with Exceptionally Modulated Band Structures for Efficient Photocatalytic Oxygen Evolution

Abstract Electronic structure greatly determines the band structures and the charge carrier transport properties of semiconducting photocatalysts and consequently their photocatalytic activities. Here, by simply calcining the mixture of graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C 3 N 4 ) and sodium borohydride in an inert atmosphere, boron dopants and nitrogen defects are simultaneously introduced into g‐C 3 N 4 . The resultant boron‐doped and nitrogen‐deficient g‐C 3 N 4 exhibits excellent activity for photocatalytic oxygen evolution, with highest oxygen evolution rate reaching 561.2 µmol h −1 g −1 , much higher than previously reported g‐C 3 N 4 . It is well evidenced that with conduction and valence band positions…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: 51802255, 51672210, 51888103, 51961165103
• MO
  Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China

  Awards: 107‐2112‐M‐032‐004‐MY3, 108‐2218‐E‐032‐003‐MY3
• NK
  National Key Research and Development Program of China

  Awards: 2018YFB1502003, 2017YFE0193900
• FR
  Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities