Depositing Ag nanoparticles on g-C3N4 by facile silver mirror reaction for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production

[Display omitted] •Ag-g-C3N4 photocatalysts were prepared by silver mirror reaction..•The photocatalysts showed the best hydrogen production rate of 568.9 μmol.g−1.h−1.•The performance can be ascribed to the SPR effect and Schottky barriers. In this study, Ag-g-C3N4 composite photocatalysts were prepared by a facile polymerization and silver mirror reaction way. The phase, morphology, chemical structure, electronic and optical properties of the as-prepared photocatalysts were characterized systematically. The photocatalytic performance of Ag-g-C3N4 photocatalysts were evaluated by photocatalytic hydrogen production and the 5% Ag-g-C3N4 exhibited the best hydrogen production rate of 568.9 μmol·g−1·h−1, which is 39 times higher than that of bulk g-C3N4. Subsequently, the photocatalytic mechanism is tentatively proposed. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of Ag-g-C3N4 photocatalysts are ascribed to the efficient utilization of visible light, separation and transportation of the photogenerated charge carriers result from the SPR effect of Ag nanoparticles and Schottky barrier at the interface of Ag and g-C3N4.