Photocatalytic Activity Enhancement of Graphitic Carbon Nitride Nanosheets by Modification with Ag33(4-MePhCC)22(Dppp)4 Nanoclusters

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is an organic semiconductor for photocatalysis. However, it still suffers from low surface area and rapid e–/h+ recombination, which limits its further activity enhancement. In this work, an atomically precise alkynyl- and phosphine-protected Ag33(4-MePhCC)22(Dppp)4 nanocluster is synthesized. It is facilely loaded onto g-C3N4 nanosheets by a one-step process. The resulting Ag33/g-C3N4 nanocomposite is thoroughly characterized. Its activity is evaluated in the photodegradation of methyl orange. Ag33/g-C3N4 has shown a 16-fold activity enhancement compared to pristine g-C3N4. The mechanism investigation using UV–vis/diffuse-reflectance spectroscopy spectra, photocurrent response, and Nyquist plots has revealed the origin of this superior performance.