Phosphorus-Doped Carbon Nitride Tubes with a Layered Micro-nanostructure for Enhanced Visible-Light Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Phosphorus-doped hexagonal tubular carbon nitride (P-TCN) with the layered stacking structure was obtained from a hexagonal rod-like single crystal supramolecular precursor (monoclinic, C2/m). The production process of P-TCN involves two steps: 1) the precursor was prepared by self-assembly of melamine with cyanuric acid from in situ hydrolysis of melamine under phosphorous acid-assisted hydrothermal conditions; 2) the pyrolysis was initiated at the center of precursor under heating, thus giving the hexagonal P-TCN. The tubular structure favors the enhancement of light scattering and active sites. Meanwhile, the introduction of phosphorus leads to a narrow band gap and increased electric conductivity. Thus, the P-TCN exhibited a high hydrogen evolution rate of 67 mu mol.h(-1) (0.1 g catalyst, lambda > 420 nm) in the presence of sacrificial agents, and an apparent quantum efficiency of 5.68% at 420 nm, which is better than most of bulk g-C3N4 reported.