Dipole field as charge-transfer bridge between Cu atomic clusters/PtCu alloy nanocubes and nitrogen-rich C3N5 for superior photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

A novel Cu atom clusters/PtCu alloy nanocubes coloaded on nitrogen-rich triazole-based C 3 N 5 with dipole field was successfully constructed to achieve a record-high performance with H 2 formation rate through the synergistic effect between Cu atom clusters, PtCu alloy and C 3 N 5. [Display omitted] Utilizing spontaneous polarization field to harness charge transfer kinetics is a promising strategy to boost photocatalytic performance. Herein, a novel Cu atom clusters/PtCu alloy nanocubes coloaded on nitrogen-rich triazole-based C 3 N 5 (PtCu-C 3 N 5) with dipole field was constructed through facile photo-deposition and impregnation method. The dipole field-drive spontaneous polarization in C 3 N 5 acts as a charge-transfer bridge to promote directional electron migration from C 3 N 5 to Cu atom clusters/PtCu alloy. Through the synergistic effects between Cu atom clusters, PtCu alloy and dipole field in C 3 N 5 , the optimized Pt 2 Cu 3 -C 3 N 5 achieved a record-high performance with H 2 formation rate of 4090.4 μmol g−1 h−1 under visible light, about 154.4-fold increase compared with pristine C 3 N 5 (26.5 μmol g−1 h−1). Moreover, the apparent quantum efficiency was up to 25.33 % at 320 nm, which is greatly superior than most previous related-works. The directional charge transfer mechanism was analyzed in detail through various characterizations and DFT calculations. This work offers a novel pathway to construct high-efficiency multi-metal photocatalysts for solar energy conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]