Solar-light-driven N-doped 3C–SiC powder was synthesized via a simple one-step combustion route. SiC–N₂ photocatalysts exhibited 205.3 μL/(g·h) hydrogen evolution rate, nearly 2 times that of SiC–Ar(120.1 μL/(g·h)), and was much higher than that of SiC nanowires (83.9 μL/(g·h)), SiC nanoparticles (82.8 μL/(g·h)) as well as the B-doped SiC photocatalysts(166 μL/(g·h)). In cyclic tests, N-doped SiC also performed excellent photocatalytic durability and good structural stability. It can be concluded that the influence of N-doping introduced defects into the SiC photocatalyst by occupation and mixed phase structure, transformed the band structure into the direct band gap, and formed a shallow donor level for trapping holes. Consequently, higher photocatalytic activities and lower recombination was achieved. Furthermore, the carbon on the photocatalyst which was yielded from the substitution of N or which remained after combustion would build constructed efficient interfacial contact with SiC for the quickening of light-driven electron transfer to the surface, and simultaneously strengthen the adsorption capacity and light-harvesting potential.

Co-catalyst deposition is used to improve the surface and electrical properties of photocatalysts. In this work, MoS_x/CdIn₂S₄ nanocomposites were prepared by a facile hydrothermal and photodeposition route. The basic crystalline phases and morphology of the as-prepared samples were determined, and these results showed that MoS_x was tightly anchored onto CdIn₂S₄ by sharing the same S atom. In the hydrogen production experiments, MoS_x/CdIn₂S₄-40 displayed the optimal photocatalytic hydrogen production yield in 4 h. The H₂ evolution rate reached 2846.73 μmol/g/h, which was 13.6-times higher than that of pure CdIn₂S₄. Analyzing the photocatalytic enhancement mechanisms revealed that this unique structure had a remarkable photogenerated electron-hole pair separation efficiency, rapid charge carrier transfer channels, and more abundant surface reaction sites. The use of co-catalyst (MoS_x) greatly improved the photocatalytic activity of CdIn₂S₄.

BiOCl nanosheets nucleated and grew on cottage cheese-like SiC substrate via hydrothermal procedure, through which a tight heterojunction was formed. SiC/BiOCl composites with varied morphologies were acquired that the formation of BiOCl was involved with different form of carbon existed on surface of SiC. The photocatalytic mechanism analysis revealed that the combination of SiC and BOC significantly enhanced photocatalytic activities owing to the improved visible light utilization, efficient separation of photo-generated carriers, and promoted reactive area. The main active species during the photocatalytic reaction was determined as ·O²⁻ radical by additionally adding trapping agent into the reactant. The SiC-BOC composites showed much higher photoactivities in photocurrent responses and photocatalytic degradation of TC-HCl, which mainly attributed to the well-built heterointerface promoted by Bi-C bonds and the interlaced structure obtained by increasing exposure of (010) facets in BiOCl. The nucleation, growth and combination architecture of BiOCl was all influenced by the involvement of SiC.

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [1]