Chemical Reviews, volume 116, issue 12, pages 7159-7329

Graphitic Carbon Nitride (g-C3N4)-Based Photocatalysts for Artificial Photosynthesis and Environmental Remediation: Are We a Step Closer To Achieving Sustainability?

Keat Lee 1
Lling Lling Tan 1
Yun Hui Ng 2
S.T. Yong 1
Siang-Piao Chai 1
1
 
Multidisciplinary Platform of Advanced Engineering, Chemical Engineering Discipline, School of Engineering, Monash University, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Selangor, Malaysia
Publication typeJournal Article
Publication date2016-05-20
Journal: Chemical Reviews
Quartile SCImago
Q1
Quartile WOS
Q1
Impact factor62.1
ISSN00092665, 15206890
General Chemistry
Abstract
As a fascinating conjugated polymer, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has become a new research hotspot and drawn broad interdisciplinary attention as a metal-free and visible-light-responsive photocatalyst in the arena of solar energy conversion and environmental remediation. This is due to its appealing electronic band structure, high physicochemical stability, and "earth-abundant" nature. This critical review summarizes a panorama of the latest progress related to the design and construction of pristine g-C3N4 and g-C3N4-based nanocomposites, including (1) nanoarchitecture design of bare g-C3N4, such as hard and soft templating approaches, supramolecular preorganization assembly, exfoliation, and template-free synthesis routes, (2) functionalization of g-C3N4 at an atomic level (elemental doping) and molecular level (copolymerization), and (3) modification of g-C3N4 with well-matched energy levels of another semiconductor or a metal as a cocatalyst to form heterojunction nanostructures. The construction and characteristics of each classification of the heterojunction system will be critically reviewed, namely metal-g-C3N4, semiconductor-g-C3N4, isotype g-C3N4/g-C3N4, graphitic carbon-g-C3N4, conducting polymer-g-C3N4, sensitizer-g-C3N4, and multicomponent heterojunctions. The band structures, electronic properties, optical absorption, and interfacial charge transfer of g-C3N4-based heterostructured nanohybrids will also be theoretically discussed based on the first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations to provide insightful outlooks on the charge carrier dynamics. Apart from that, the advancement of the versatile photoredox applications toward artificial photosynthesis (water splitting and photofixation of CO2), environmental decontamination, and bacteria disinfection will be presented in detail. Last but not least, this comprehensive review will conclude with a summary and some invigorating perspectives on the challenges and future directions at the forefront of this research platform. It is anticipated that this review can stimulate a new research doorway to facilitate the next generation of g-C3N4-based photocatalysts with ameliorated performances by harnessing the outstanding structural, electronic, and optical properties for the development of a sustainable future without environmental detriment.

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Lee K. et al. Graphitic Carbon Nitride (g-C3N4)-Based Photocatalysts for Artificial Photosynthesis and Environmental Remediation: Are We a Step Closer To Achieving Sustainability? // Chemical Reviews. 2016. Vol. 116. No. 12. pp. 7159-7329.
GOST all authors (up to 50) Copy
Lee K., Tan L. L., Ng Y. H., Yong S., Chai S. Graphitic Carbon Nitride (g-C3N4)-Based Photocatalysts for Artificial Photosynthesis and Environmental Remediation: Are We a Step Closer To Achieving Sustainability? // Chemical Reviews. 2016. Vol. 116. No. 12. pp. 7159-7329.
RIS |
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RIS Copy
TY - JOUR
DO - 10.1021/acs.chemrev.6b00075
UR - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrev.6b00075
TI - Graphitic Carbon Nitride (g-C3N4)-Based Photocatalysts for Artificial Photosynthesis and Environmental Remediation: Are We a Step Closer To Achieving Sustainability?
T2 - Chemical Reviews
AU - Lee, Keat
AU - Tan, Lling Lling
AU - Ng, Yun Hui
AU - Yong, S.T.
AU - Chai, Siang-Piao
PY - 2016
DA - 2016/05/20 00:00:00
PB - American Chemical Society (ACS)
SP - 7159-7329
IS - 12
VL - 116
SN - 0009-2665
SN - 1520-6890
ER -
BibTex |
Cite this
BibTex Copy
@article{2016_Lee,
author = {Keat Lee and Lling Lling Tan and Yun Hui Ng and S.T. Yong and Siang-Piao Chai},
title = {Graphitic Carbon Nitride (g-C3N4)-Based Photocatalysts for Artificial Photosynthesis and Environmental Remediation: Are We a Step Closer To Achieving Sustainability?},
journal = {Chemical Reviews},
year = {2016},
volume = {116},
publisher = {American Chemical Society (ACS)},
month = {may},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrev.6b00075},
number = {12},
pages = {7159--7329},
doi = {10.1021/acs.chemrev.6b00075}
}
MLA
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MLA Copy
Lee, Keat, et al. “Graphitic Carbon Nitride (g-C3N4)-Based Photocatalysts for Artificial Photosynthesis and Environmental Remediation: Are We a Step Closer To Achieving Sustainability?.” Chemical Reviews, vol. 116, no. 12, May. 2016, pp. 7159-7329. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrev.6b00075.
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