Precipitation synthesis and characterization of SnO@g-CN heterojunctions for enhanced photocatalytic H production.

This study reports the development of SnO@g-CN heterojunctions, a hybrid semiconductor photocatalyst with varying mass percent ratios using a facile precipitation method for hydrogen (H) production. The synergistic effect between the SnO nanoparticles and g-CN sheets suppresses the charge recombination and enhances carrier separation, leading to improved photocatalytic activity. The nanocomposites demonstrate increased hydrogen production across all composites, with SC-20 sample (, 80% SnO and 20% g-CN) achieving the highest H production rate of 287.7 μmol g h, that is, 1.87-fold and 1.63-fold higher than that of SnO and of g-CN counterparts, respectively. Furthermore, the nanocomposites maintain excellent photostability. Specifically, SC-20 achieves approximately 1500 μmol H evolution per 5 hour-cycle. The facile precipitation-based synthesis and enhanced photocatalytic activity of the SnO@g-CN nanocomposite position it as a reliable, cost-effective, and sustainable candidate for solar-driven hydrogen production and other clean energy applications.