Abstract:

Photocatalytic reduction of CO₂ to hydrocarbon compounds is a promising method for addressing energy shortages and environmental pollution. Considerable efforts have been devoted to exploring valid strategies to enhance photocatalytic efficiency. Among various modification methods, the hybridization of different photocatalysts is effective for addressing the shortcomings of a single photocatalyst and enhancing its CO₂ reduction performance. In addition, metal-free materials such as g-C₃N₄ and black phosphorus (BP) are attractive because of their unique structures and electronic properties. Many experimental results have verified the superior photocatalytic activity of a BP/g-C₃N₄ composite. However, theoretical understanding of the intrinsic mechanism of the activity enhancement is still lacking. Herein, the geometric structures, optical absorption, electronic properties, and CO₂ reduction reaction processes of 2D/2D BP/g-C₃N₄ composite models are investigated using density functional theory calculations. The composite model consists of a monolayer of BP and a tri-s-triazine-based monolayer of g-C₃N₄. Based on the calculated work function, it is inferred that electrons transfer from g-C₃N₄ to BP owing to the higher Fermi level of g-C₃N₄ compared with that of BP. Furthermore, the charge density difference suggests the formation of a built-in electric field at the interface, which is conducive to the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. The optical absorption coefficient demonstrates that the light absorption of the composite is significantly higher than that of its single-component counterpart. Integrated analysis of the band edge potential and interfacial electronic interaction indicates that the migration of photogenerated charge carriers in the BP/g-C₃N₄ hybrid follows the S-scheme photocatalytic mechanism. Under visible-light irradiation, the photogenerated electrons on BP recombine with the photogenerated holes on g-C₃N₄, leaving photogenerated electrons and holes in the conduction band of g-C₃N₄ and the valence band of BP, respectively. Compared with pristine g-C₃N₄, this S-scheme heterojunction allows efficient separation of photogenerated charge carriers while effectively preserving strong redox abilities. Additionally, the possible reaction path for CO₂ reduction on g-C₃N₄ and BP/g-C₃N₄ is discussed by computing the free energy of each step. It was found that CO₂ reduction on the composite occurs most readily on the g-C₃N₄ side. The reaction path on the composite is different from that on g-C₃N₄. The heterojunction reduces the maximum energy barrier for CO₂ reduction from 1.48 to 1.22 eV, following the optimal reaction path. Consequently, the BP/g-C₃N₄ heterojunction is theoretically proven to be an excellent CO₂ reduction photocatalyst. This work is helpful for understanding the effect of BP modification on the photocatalytic activity of g-C₃N₄. It also provides a theoretical basis for the design of other high-performance CO₂ reduction photocatalysts.

Key words: Photocatalysis, CO₂ reduction, Step-scheme heterojunction, Graphitic carbon nitride, Density functional theory