In Situ Synthesis of Phosphorus-Doped Polymeric Carbon Nitride Sheets for Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation

Photoelectrochemical water oxidation by polymeric carbon nitride (PCN) has recently received increasing scientific interest. Herein, phosphorus (P) is doped into PCN (p-PCN) films through in situ polymerization. p-PCN sheets are formed and vertically aligned on a conductive substrate, which is used as a photoanode. The optimal photocurrent density of the photoanode is approximate to 120 mu A cm(-2), which is more than two times that of the undoped one. The improved performance is accounted as the introduction of P in PCN. On the one hand, P doping increases the valence potential of PCN and improves the ability of water oxidation. On the other hand, charge transfer is improved by extra charges from P.