Interplay between the interfacial Mo-N bonds within MoC nanodot/N-doped carbon composites for efficient photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) and hydrogen evolution reaction

doi:10.1016/j.jmst.2024.05.073

J. Mater. Sci. Technol. ›› 2025, Vol. 215: 147-156.DOI: 10.1016/j.jmst.2024.05.073

• Research Article • Previous Articles Next Articles

Interplay between the interfacial Mo-N bonds within MoC nanodot/N-doped carbon composites for efficient photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) and hydrogen evolution reaction

Yufen Liu^a,1, Zhi Yang^a,1, Yun Hau Ng^b,*, Jiadong Chen^c,*, Jiaxin Li^a, Qiqi Gan^a, Qinyou Liu^d, Xixian Yang^e, Yueping Fang^a, Shengsen Zhang^a,*

^aGuangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory for Biobased Materials and Energy of Ministry of Education, College of Materials and Energy, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510643, China;
^bSchool of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China;
^cInstitute of New Materials & Industry Technology, College of Chemistry & Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China;
^dSchool of Material and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen Polytechnic University, Shenzhen 518055, China;
^eInstitute of Biomass Engineering, Key Laboratory of Energy Plants Resource and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center of Agricultural and Forestry Biomass, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China

Received:2024-03-05 Revised:2024-05-26 Accepted:2024-05-26 Published:2025-04-20 Online:2024-07-02
Contact: *E-mail addresses: yunhau.ng@cityu.edu.hk (Y.H. Ng), 20230030@wzu.edu.cn (J. Chen), zhangss@scau.edu.cn (S. Zhang)
About author:¹These authors contributed equally to this work.

Abstract

Abstract: A novel photocatalytic cocatalyst, MoC quantum dots integrated into N-doped carbon microflowers (MoC-NC), was synthesized, establishing a key Mo-N interfacial bond. The Mo-N bond's regulation was achieved by adjusting the pH of Mo-polydopamine precursor solutions. A composite photocatalyst, MoC-NC/CdS (MNS), was formed by in situ growth of nano-CdS on MoC-NC. The pH during synthesis, crucial for Mo-N bond formation, significantly influenced Cr(VI) reduction and H₂ evolution performance. The optimal MNS, created at pH 9.0, demonstrated 99.2% reduction efficiency for Cr(VI) in 20 min and H₂ evolution rate of 11.4 mmol g^-1 h^-1 over 3 h, outperforming Pt/CdS. Mechanistic studies and density functional theory revealed MoC-NC's role in enhancing light absorption, reaction kinetics, and electron transport, attributing to its ultra-small quantum dots and abundant Mo-N bonds.

Key words: Photocatalysis, Hydrogen evolution, Cr(VI) reduction, Molybdenum carbide, Interfacial Mo-N chemical bond

Yufen Liu, Zhi Yang, Yun Hau Ng, Jiadong Chen, Jiaxin Li, Qiqi Gan, Qinyou Liu, Xixian Yang, Yueping Fang, Shengsen Zhang. Interplay between the interfacial Mo-N bonds within MoC nanodot/N-doped carbon composites for efficient photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) and hydrogen evolution reaction[J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2025, 215: 147-156.

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Interplay between the interfacial Mo-N bonds within MoC nanodot/N-doped carbon composites for efficient photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) and hydrogen evolution reaction

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