An overview of the modification of g-C3N4 with high carbon containing materials for photocatalytic applications

Abstract

In recent years, graphitic carbon nitride has become one of the very exciting sustainable materials, due to its unusual properties and promising applications as a heterogeneous catalyst in water splitting and organic contaminant degradation. A variety of modifications have been reported for this nanostructured material with the use of carbonaceous materials to enhance its potential applications. This review summarizes the ongoing developments towards the use of carbonaceous materials like activated carbon (AC), ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), fullerene (C60) and graphene (GE) for the enhancement of the photocatalytic performance of metal free semiconductor photocatalysts because of their special structures and unique electronic properties. Also this review highlights the recent strategies aiming to promote the activity by coupling with polymers (having higher carbon content). Our study reveals that in addition to the charge transfer effects, morphological changes in g-C₃N₄ are also introduced by combination of g-C₃N₄ with carbonaceous materials to tailor its pristine properties and to extend its applications.