Construction of Visible Light Responsive CdSe/g-C3N4 Nanocomposites for H2 Production

Utilization of heterogeneous photocatalysts for H2 production using water splitting reaction under visible light is a promising approach for production of large scale sustainable, renewable, and clean energy. CdSe/g-C3N4 nanocomposites were synthesized in this study by employing a simple aqueous synthesis method. Various CdSe contents were tested as a photocatalyst in the H2 production. XRD diffraction results confirmed the hexagonal arrangement of CdSe and its incorporation onto g-C3N4. Spherical shaped CdSe nanoparticles were distributed on the g-C3N4 nanosheets in an orderly fashion. The photocatalytic efficiency of CdSe/g-C3N4 composites was assessed utilizing glycerol as a scavenger. The photocatalytic activity for H2 production was enhanced by increasing the CdSe content, reaching H2 yield of up to 26000 μmol·g-1 using 5% CdSe/g-C3N4 nanocomposite. The produced H2 was higher ∼86 and 52 times than g-C3N4 and CdSe. The H2 production yield also increased with increased 5% CdSe/g-C3N4 photocatalyst load.