Issue 24, 2023

Flexible nanosheets for plasmonic photocatalysis: microwave-assisted organic synthesis of Ni–NiO@Ni2CO3(OH)2 core–shell@sheet hybrid nanostructures

Abstract

Visible light-active nickel-based plasmonic photocatalysts provide a cost-effective alternative to noble metals. However, their rarity, fragility, and limited understanding pose challenges. This work presents a microwave-assisted organic synthesis of a Ni–NiO@Ni2CO3(OH)2 core–shell@sheet plasmonic photocatalyst. By employing time and power dependent synthesis, this catalyst exhibits flexible Ni2CO3(OH)2 nanosheets enveloping the Ni–NiO structure, surpassing the pristine Ni@NiO/NiCO3 core–shell counterpart. Chemical reaction mechanisms suggest that irradiation of pristine Ni–NiO/NiCO3 nano structures leads to breakage of amorphous NiCO3 to Ni2+ and CO32−, which further, in the presence of water solvent, interacts with OH ions leading to the formation of Ni(CO3)·Ni(OH)2. With enhanced light absorption and photocatalytic properties, the resulting core–shell@sheet photocatalyst demonstrates double the hydrogen evolution reaction yield (40 μmol g−1 h−1) compared to the pristine catalyst (20 μmol g−1 h−1). The enhanced H2 yield is attributed to the flexible sheets, cross-dimensional photocatalyst structure, increased surface area for surface reactions, and higher H2 activity of Ni2CO3(OH)2. This research showcases the potential of microwave-assisted synthesis in developing flexible nanosheets with superior solar water splitting performance.

Graphical abstract: Flexible nanosheets for plasmonic photocatalysis: microwave-assisted organic synthesis of Ni–NiO@Ni2CO3(OH)2 core–shell@sheet hybrid nanostructures

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 Aug 2023
Accepted
31 Oct 2023
First published
03 Nov 2023
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Nanoscale Adv., 2023,5, 6935-6943

Flexible nanosheets for plasmonic photocatalysis: microwave-assisted organic synthesis of Ni–NiO@Ni2CO3(OH)2 core–shell@sheet hybrid nanostructures

E. Rani, P. Talebi, T. Pulkkinen, V. Pankratov and H. Singh, Nanoscale Adv., 2023, 5, 6935 DOI: 10.1039/D3NA00583F

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