Photocatalytic Activity Enhancement of Graphitic Carbon Nitride Nanosheets by Modification with Ag33(4-MePhCC)22(Dppp)4 Nanoclusters.

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) is an organic semiconductor for photocatalysis. However, it still suffers from low surface area and rapid e^–/h⁺ recombination, which limits its further activity enhancement. In this work, an atomically precise alkynyl- and phosphine-protected Ag₃₃(4-MePhCC)₂₂(Dppp)₄ nanocluster is synthesized. It is facilely loaded onto g-C₃N₄ nanosheets by a one-step process. The resulting Ag₃₃/g-C₃N₄ nanocomposite is thoroughly characterized. Its activity is evaluated in the photodegradation of methyl orange. Ag₃₃/g-C₃N₄ has shown a 16-fold activity enhancement compared to pristine g-C₃N₄. The mechanism investigation using UV–vis/diffuse-reflectance spectroscopy spectra, photocurrent response, and Nyquist plots has revealed the origin of this superior performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]