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Enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting efficiency with a carbon/g-C3N4 composite

Author

Listed:
  • Chu, Sheng
  • Wang, Xintie
  • Xu, Xiaoyu
  • Duan, Siyuan
  • Zhang, Zhuzhu
  • Sun, Lijuan
  • Xu, Lian-Hua
  • Zhang, Huiyan

Abstract

The development of renewable energy systems is critical to addressing energy shortages and environmental concerns posed by the excessive use of fossil fuels. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) technology for water splitting has been considered as a promising approach to converting intermittent solar energy into green and storable hydrogen. Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), a nonmetallic polymer semiconductor, has attracted significant attention in PEC water splitting due to its facile synthesis, visible light absorption, excellent physico-chemical stability, and adjustable band structure. However, its efficiency is limited by poor conductivity and rapid recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. In this work, we integrate conductive carbon material into g-C3N4 to overcome the above shortcomings for enhanced PEC performance. The photocurrent density of 2 % C-g-C3N4 reached 8 μA/cm2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE, which is 2 times higher than that of unmodified g-C3N4. It has shown that the intimate contact between carbon and g-C3N4 facilitates the separation of photogenerated charge carriers, thereby increasing the PEC efficiency. This work provides useful guidance for designing efficient and abundant metal-free photoelectrode for PEC water splitting.

Suggested Citation

  • Chu, Sheng & Wang, Xintie & Xu, Xiaoyu & Duan, Siyuan & Zhang, Zhuzhu & Sun, Lijuan & Xu, Lian-Hua & Zhang, Huiyan, 2026. "Enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting efficiency with a carbon/g-C3N4 composite," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 256(PD).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:256:y:2026:i:pd:s0960148125019160
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2025.124252
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Barbera, O. & Lo Vecchio, C. & Trocino, S. & Carbone, A. & Aricò, A.S. & Baglio, V. & Giacoppo, G., 2024. "Solar to hydrogen conversion by a 25 cm2-photoelectrochemical cell with upscaled components," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 224(C).
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