Carbon Dot Functionalized with Hematite for Hydrogen Evolution

Carbon dots (CDs) are promising photocatalysts that have attracted attention due to their property of surface functionalization, low-cost facile scale-up synthesis, magnificent electron transfer efficiency and tunable light harvesting range photostability, photoluminescence properties and low cost. Whereas hematite can degrade pollutants through photocatalysis efficiently, exhibiting Fenton and photo-Fenton oxidations and due to their magnetic properties suspended solids can easily be separated with magnetic separation techniques. CDs prepared using green carbon sources such as waste tea leaves by microwave treatment method. Hematite-coated CD-based nanocomposite can be developed for highly efficient photocatalysis with enhanced surface area, desirable band structure and ease of separation. The nanocomposite CDs@Fe2O3 synthesized using waste carbon sources. CDs@Fe2O3 nanocomposites were effectively developed in this study using straightforward hydrothermal process in single pot and used as efficient photocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) under visible light irradiation. One of the most promising fuel options is hydrogen, a clean and renewable energy source. The nanocomposite exhibited an efficient photocatalyst for the evolution of 1300 µmol g–1 of H2 in 4 h.