Photo–thermo-catalytic hydrogen production by an interfacial reactor with potassium-doped polymeric carbon nitride/titanium nitride

Efficient utilization of heat generated by photothermal conversion and enhancement of mass transfer are crucial for boosting photo–thermo-catalytic hydrogen production. Herein, an interfacial reactor with potassium-doped polymeric carbon nitride/titanium nitride (PPCN/TiN) is developed for photo–thermo-catalytic hydrogen production. The PPCN/TiN with broad light absorption exhibits not only good photocatalytic activity but also excellent photothermal conversion. Remarkably, the interfacial reactor design can efficiently reduce the dissipation of the heat generated by photothermal conversion to the solution, which increases the running temperature. Moreover, the mass transfer can be enhanced because the generated hydrogen can directly escape from the top. Therefore, the hydrogen production rate of the interfacial reactor is much higher than that of the conventional suspension reactor, presenting an increase of 81%. This study provides a new method for photo–thermo-catalytic hydrogen production by optimizing energy and mass flow.