In this paper, we have reported that well-defined graphene oxide (GO) enwrapped Ag/AgX (X = Br, Cl) nanocomposites, which are composed of Ag/AgX nanoparticles and gauze-like GO nanosheets, could be facilely fabricated via a water/oil system. We have shown that thus-synthesized GO-based hybrid nanocomposites could be used as a stable plasmonic photocatalyst for the photodegradation of methyl orange (MO) pollutant under visible-light irradiation. Compared with the corresponding bare Ag/AgX nanospecies, the GO-involved nanocomposites (Ag/AgX/GO) display distinctly enhanced photocatalytic activities. The hybridization of Ag/AgX with GO nanosheets causes the nice adsorptive capacity of Ag/AgX/GO to MO molecules, the smaller size of the Ag/AgX nanoparticles in Ag/AgX/GO, the facilitated charge transfer, and the suppressed recombination of electron-hole pairs in Ag/AgX/GO. It is suggested that these multifactors, resulting from the hybridization of GO, contribute to the enhanced photocatalytic performance observed from Ag/AgX/GO. The investigation likely opens up new possibilities for the development of original yet highly efficient and stable GO-based plasmonic photocatalysts that utilize visible light as an energy source.

In the drive toward green and sustainable chemistry, exploring efficient and stable metal-free photocatalysts with broadband solar absorption from the UV to near-infrared region for the photoreduction of water to H remains a big challenge. To this end, a binary nanohybrid (BP/CN) of two-dimensional (2D) black phosphorus (BP) and graphitic carbon nitride (CN) was designed and used as a metal-free photocatalyst for the first time. During irradiation of BP/CN in water with >420 and >780 nm light, solid H gas was generated, respectively. Owing to the interfacial interaction between BP and CN, efficient charge transfer occurred, thereby enhancing the photocatalytic performance. The efficient charge-trapping and transfer processes were thoroughly investigated with time-resolved diffuse reflectance spectroscopic measurement. The present results show that BP/CN is a metal-free photocatalyst for artificial photosynthesis and renewable energy conversion.

Single-site cocatalysts engineered on supports offer a cost-efficient pathway to utilize precious metals, yet improving the performance further with minimal catalyst loading is still highly desirable. Here we have conducted a photochemical reaction to stabilize ultralow Pt co-catalysts (0.26 wt%) onto the basal plane of hexagonal ZnIn2S4 nanosheets (PtSS-ZIS) to form a Pt-S3 protrusion tetrahedron coordination structure. Compared with the traditional defect-trapped Pt single-site counterparts, the protruding Pt single-sites on h-ZIS photocatalyst enhance the H2 evolution yield rate by a factor of 2.2, which could reach 17.5 mmol g−1 h−1 under visible light irradiation. Importantly, through simple drop-casting, a thin PtSS-ZIS film is prepared, and large amount of observable H2 bubbles are generated, providing great potential for practical solar-light-driven H2 production. The protruding single Pt atoms in PtSS-ZIS could inhibit the recombination of electron-hole pairs and cause a tip effect to optimize the adsorption/desorption behavior of H through effective proton mass transfer, which synergistically promote reaction thermodynamics and kinetics.