Synergistic cobalt and phosphorus doping boosting photocatalytic performances of g-C3N4 for hydrogen evolution by inducing efficient charge separation

Unsatisfied visible light response and low carrier separation efficiency hinder the advanced application of g-C 3 N 4 . In this study, the novel Co and P co-doped g-C 3 N 4 (Co/P/g-C 3 N 4 ) photocatalysts are facilely constructed in one pot by introducing vitamin B12 into the polymerization process of the urea, which obviously boosts the photocatalytic activity compared to g-C 3 N 4 . A series of characterizations confirm that the Co and P co-doping in g-C 3 N 4 not only increases the specific surface area, enhances absorption of visible light, but also facilitates the separation of charge carriers. As a result, the developed Co/P/g-C 3 N 4 -2 achieves the highest photocatalytic performance with hydrogen evolution rate of 3500.4 μmol g −1 h −1 (nearly 6.8 times that of g-C 3 N 4 ), and excellent recycle stability. This study may open a new perspective for constructing dual-elements co-doped g-C 3 N 4 materials with high photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance.