3D ordered macroporous g-C 3 N 4 decorated with Co 2 P nanoparticles: An efficient composite for photocatalytic hydrolysis of ammonia borane to generate hydrogen

Photocatalytic hydrolysis of ammonia borane is widely regarded as a highly efficient method for hydrogen generation, largely depending on the design of photocatalyst composed of semiconductor and metal nanoparticles. In this study, three-dimensional ordered macroporous graphitic carbon nitride (3DOM-CN) was fabricated using SiO 2 microspheres as hard template to increase its specific surface area, broaden its light absorption range, and suppress the recombination of photogenerated charge carriers. The 3DOM-CN was further decorated with cobalt phosphide nanoparticles (Co 2 P NPs) via phosphorization method. The resulting Co 2 P/3DOM-CN composite exhibited an exceptionally high hydrogen generation rate of 12.85 L·min −1 · g CoP −1 under light irradiation, which is nearly 2.6 times higher than that obtained in darkness. To elucidate the photocatalytic mechanism, controlled experiments were performed using different scavengers. Furthermore, the photocatalyst demonstrated favorable stability over eight consecutive recycles.