Acta Phys. -Chim. Sin. ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (9): 100107.doi: 10.1016/j.actphy.2025.100107

• ARTICLE • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Enhanced photocatalytic synthesis of H2O2 by triplet electron transfer at g-C3N4@BN van der Waals heterojunction interface

Qi Wu, Changhua Wang*(), Yingying Li, Xintong Zhang*()   

  1. Key Laboratory of UV-Emitting Materials and Technology of Chinese Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, Jilin Province, China
  • Received:2025-03-31 Revised:2025-05-25 Accepted:2025-05-25 Published:2025-07-04
  • Contact: Email: wangch100@nenu.edu.cn (Changhua Wang)xtzhang@nenu.edu.cn (Xintong Zhang)
  • Supported by:
    the Jilin Province Science and Technology Development Project(20220201073GX); the Natural Science Foundation of China(52273236); the Natural Science Foundation of China(U22A2078); the Natural Science Foundation of China(91833303); the Natural Science Foundation of China(51102001); the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(2412022QD035); the Education Department of Jilin Province(JJKH20241426KJ)

Abstract:

The van der Waals heterojunctions demonstrate exceptional advantages due to their outstanding charge separation capabilities and remarkable flexibility in tuning electronic properties. This study explores the potential application of the 2D/2D g-C3N4 @BN van der Waals heterojunction in the photocatalytic synthesis of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Based on this heterojunction, we investigated the energy transfer process between triplet excitons and singlet oxygen, emphasizing the importance of catalyst structure for charge separation and the stable generation of triplet electrons. By constructing a charge transfer pathway, the built-in electric field within the heterojunction effectively drives the directional migration of charge carriers, significantly extending their lifetime. We employed two modification strategies to regulate the excited state electronic properties of the catalyst, including adjusting the interlayer arrangement to enhance charge transport capability and halogen modification to improve the light responsiveness of materials. Experimental validation indicates that the representative chlorinated-CN@BN effectively suppresses exciton recombination compared to CN, extending the lifetime of excited-state carriers by 3.52 times. Furthermore, the photocatalytic yield of H2O2 is improved by 2.73 times. This study provides a theoretical basis for developing novel photocatalysts and inspires the design of catalysts for direct synthesis of H2O2 from oxygen.

Key words: 2D/2D heterojunction interface, Photocatalytic synthesis of H2O2, Triplet electron transfer, Energy transfer