Pythium oligandrum-derived carbon/graphene oxide as sensitized substrate: large-scale preparation and enhancing photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Pythium oligandrum -derived biomass-activated carbon/graphene oxide (POC/GO) nanohybrid material is prepared for the first time by direct carbonization using the two-dimensional graphene oxide (GO)-incorporated Pythium oligandrum (PO). Note that the implanted GO is adsorbed and wrapped by the generated PO, which may be a feasible method to separate GO from aqueous systems. The obtained POC/GO exhibits special textural and high conductivity properties due to rapid electron transfer through the two-dimensional GO incorporated into carbonaceous network. Based on the functional POC/GO as a sensitizing substrate, the eosin Y dye-sensitized POC/GO@Pt photocatalysts show high-efficiency H 2 evolution activity, which is 1.3 and 2.1 times higher than GO@Pt and POC@Pt. As well as the apparent quantum efficiency of POC/GO@Pt can reach to 32.2% at 430 nm. The superior catalytic activities for H 2 evolution are attributed to the inner heat-treated GO which provided fast electron transport channels, while the outer POC with rich defect sites provided adsorption sites for the reactant H 2 O and co-catalyst Pt. Research ideas and design methods in this paper might provide a new way for preparing other biomass-based carbon materials and solar-driven high active photocatalyst.