Preparation of low cost g-C3N4 nanostructures: study of photochemical efficiency through hydrogen generation by artificial photosynthesis

• Grant number: 20/05689-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2021
• End date: January 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Condensed Matter Physics
• Principal Investigator: Renato Vitalino Gonçalves
• Grantee: Ana Maria Sanches dos Santos
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 17/18716-3 - Artificial photosynthesis: development of Tandem systems for hydrogen production from water and sunlight, AP.JP

Abstract

This research project proposes the development of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanostructures through urea pyrolysis and the molten salt method, which are considered low cost methods. Urea is a common and low-cost raw material used in the chemical industry. g-C3N4 is a non-metallic semiconductor material with optical, structural and electronic properties suitable for the reaction of artificial photosynthesis using sunlight in the visible light range, making it a promising candidate for large-scale applications. The photochemical efficiency of g-C3N4 synthesized in this project will be investigated through the generation of hydrogen by artificial photosynthesis in a suspended system.