title: Carbon-doped BN nanosheets for metal-free photoredox catalysis.
abstract: The generation of sustainable and stable semiconductors for solar energy conversion by photoredox catalysis, for example, light-induced water splitting and carbon dioxide reduction, is a key challenge of modern materials chemistry. Here we present a simple synthesis of a ternary semiconductor, boron carbon nitride, and show that it can catalyse hydrogen or oxygen evolution from water as well as carbon dioxide reduction under visible light illumination. The ternary B-C-N alloy features a delocalized two-dimensional electron system with sp(2) carbon incorporated in the h-BN lattice where the bandgap can be adjusted by the amount of incorporated carbon to produce unique functions. Such sustainable photocatalysts made of lightweight elements facilitate the innovative construction of photoredox cascades to utilize solar energy for chemical conversion.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Photocatalysis on Energy and Environment, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
authors.forename: Caijin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Photocatalysis on Energy and Environment, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Photocatalysis on Energy and Environment, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
authors.forename: Mingwen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Photocatalysis on Energy and Environment, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
authors.forename: Lihua
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Photocatalysis on Energy and Environment, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
authors.forename: Xinxin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Photocatalysis on Energy and Environment, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
authors.forename: Sen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Colloid Chemistry, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam 14476, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Antonietti
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Photocatalysis on Energy and Environment, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
authors.forename: Xinchen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang