Chlorophyll-Inspired Zinc-Phthalocyanine Nanodot Assembled g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> Composite for Efficient Visible-Light-Driven H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> Production.

Zhang, Xufang; Ju, Meng; Hou, Aiqin; Xie, Kongliang; Zheng, Changwu; Li, Fengzhen; Gao, Aiqin · Nano Lett · 2025

basic_science · Level V

Where this comes from

Abstract

Designing nanophotocatalysts with high photoreaction and efficient charge separation capability remains a major challenge. Inspired by the photochemical catalytic ability of natural chlorophyll, a zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) nanodot assembled graphitic carbon nitride composite (CN/ZnPc/CN) was designed. A four-arm cationic ZnPc molecule with a similar chlorophyll chemical structure was designed and prepared. The cationic ZnPc can self-assemble into nanodots by supramolecular π-π stacking. The ZnPc nanodots were embedded between two layers of g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> sheets. The carbon nitride composite assembled with ZnPc nanodots like chlorophyll can greatly improve the light-harvesting and charge-separation ability of the CN/ZnPc/CN material. Also, it greatly boosted the generation of the superoxide radical (<sup>•</sup>O<sub>2</sub><sup>-</sup>). The H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> production of CN/ZnPc/CN2 was 114.00 μmol·L<sup>-1</sup>·h<sup>-1</sup>, which was 10 times of that of pure CN. The new strategy and nanostructure inspired by chlorophyll provide a new platform in the field of efficient photochemical synthesis and energy conversion.