Ultrafast synthesis of near-zero-cost S-doped Ni(OH)(2) on C(3)N(5) under ambient conditions with enhanced photocatalytic activity

Planting highly efficient and low-cost Ni-based noble-metal-free active sites on semiconductors is of great significance in the field of photocatalysis. Herein, taking wide visible-light-responsive 2D C(3)N(5) as a model semiconductor, an impressive near-zero-cost 2D S-doped nickel hydroxide (S–Ni(OH)(2)) is grown on C(3)N(5) ultrafast within 30 min under ambient conditions by facile reaction between extremely low-cost Ni(NO(3))(2) and Na(2)S in aqueous solution. The fabricated 2D S–Ni(OH)(2)–C(3)N(5) hybrid exhibits enhanced photocatalytic performance for both H(2) production from water and NO removal for air purification. The H(2) production rate on S–Ni(OH)(2)–C(3)N(5) is ∼7 times higher than that of Ni(OH)(2)–C(3)N(5) and even slightly higher than that of Pt–C(3)N(5), demonstrating its potential as a candidate for noble metal catalysts like Pt. In particular, an apparent quantum yield (AQY) value of 30.9% at 420 nm for H(2) production is reached on 1.0 wt% S–Ni(OH)(2)–C(3)N(5) due to quick internal charge transfer efficiency. In addition, ∼42% of NO can be purified in a continuous flow reaction system. This work affords a cost-efficient strategy to steer the photocatalytic property of Ni-based catalysts.