Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production of the Polyoxoniobate Modified with RGO and PPy

The development of high-efficiency, recyclable, and inexpensive photocatalysts for water splitting for hydrogen production is of great significance to the application of solar energy. Herein, a series of graphene-decorated polyoxoniobate photocatalysts Nb(6)/PPy-RGO (Nb(6) = K(7)HNb(6)O(19), RGO = reduced graphene oxide, PPy = polypyrrole), with the bridging effect of polypyrrole were prepared through a simple one-step solvothermal method, which is the first example of polyoxoniobate-graphene-based nanocomposites. The as-fabricated photocatalyst showed a photocatalytic H(2) evolution activity without any co-catalyst. The rate of 1038 µmol g(−1) in 5 h under optimal condition is almost 43 times higher than that of pure K(7)HNb(6)O(19)·13H(2)O. The influencing factors for photocatalysts in photocatalytic hydrogen production under simulated sunlight were studied in detail and the feasible mechanism is presented in this paper. These results demonstrate that Nb(6)O(19) acts as the main catalyst and electron donor, RGO provides active sites, and PPy acted as an electronic bridge to extend the lifetime of photo-generated carriers, which are crucial factors for photocatalytic H(2) production.