Bimetallic PtAu Alloy Nanoparticles-Integrated g-C3N4 Hybrid as an Efficient Photocatalyst for Water-to-Hydrogen Conversion.

Herein, we report the synthesis of metal (Pt and Au) and metal alloy (PtAu) nanoparticles (NPs)-integrated graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) hybrids using a facile solvothermal route for water-splitting application. The metal and metal alloy NPs with varying percentages of Pt and Au are found to be in the size range of 3-5 nm and uniformly distributed on the g-C3N4 sheets. The metal and metal alloy NPs act as cocatalyst for g-C3N4 to enhance the photocatalytic activity for hydrogen (H2) generation through higher light absorption and efficient charge separation. The alloy composition plays an important role to maximize the photoactivity, with an optimized PtAu/g-C3N4 sample delivered 1009 μmol g-1 h-1 of H2. The visible light assisted photocatalytic H2 evolution is further investigated with the optimized PtAu alloy NPs-integrated g-C3N4. This study presents a robust, stable, and easily synthesizable PtAu/g-C3N4 hybrid material as a promising photocatalyst for H2 generation through water splitting.