<i>g</i>-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>: Properties, Pore Modifications, and Photocatalytic Applications
Graphitic carbon nitride (<i>g</i>-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>), as a polymeric semiconductor, is promising for ecological and economical photocatalytic applications because of its suitable electronic structures, together with the low cost, facile preparation, and...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Nanomaterials |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/12/1/121 |
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| author | Jiaqi Dong Yue Zhang Muhammad Irfan Hussain Wenjie Zhou Yingzhi Chen Lu-Ning Wang |
| author_facet | Jiaqi Dong Yue Zhang Muhammad Irfan Hussain Wenjie Zhou Yingzhi Chen Lu-Ning Wang |
| author_sort | Jiaqi Dong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Graphitic carbon nitride (<i>g</i>-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>), as a polymeric semiconductor, is promising for ecological and economical photocatalytic applications because of its suitable electronic structures, together with the low cost, facile preparation, and metal-free feature. By modifying porous <i>g</i>-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>, its photoelectric behaviors could be facilitated with transport channels for photogenerated carriers, reactive substances, and abundant active sites for redox reactions, thus further improving photocatalytic performance. There are three types of methods to modify the pore structure of <i>g</i>-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>: hard-template method, soft-template method, and template-free method. Among them, the hard-template method may produce uniform and tunable pores, but requires toxic and environmentally hazardous chemicals to remove the template. In comparison, the soft templates could be removed at high temperatures during the preparation process without any additional steps. However, the soft-template method cannot strictly control the size and morphology of the pores, so prepared samples are not as orderly as the hard-template method. The template-free method does not involve any template, and the pore structure can be formed by designing precursors and exfoliation from bulk <i>g</i>-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> (BCN). Without template support, there was no significant improvement in specific surface area (SSA). In this review, we first demonstrate the impact of pore structure on photoelectric performance. We then discuss pore modification methods, emphasizing comparison of their advantages and disadvantages. Each method’s changing trend and development direction is also summarized in combination with the commonly used functional modification methods. Furthermore, we introduce the application prospects of porous <i>g</i>-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> in the subsequent studies. Overall, porous <i>g</i>-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> as an excellent photocatalyst has a huge development space in photocatalysis in the future. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:29:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-86fc9fc613a14e139313da8af13d19b9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-4991 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:29:03Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nanomaterials |
| spelling | doaj.art-86fc9fc613a14e139313da8af13d19b92023-11-23T12:01:49ZengMDPI AGNanomaterials2079-49912021-12-0112112110.3390/nano12010121<i>g</i>-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>: Properties, Pore Modifications, and Photocatalytic ApplicationsJiaqi Dong0Yue Zhang1Muhammad Irfan Hussain2Wenjie Zhou3Yingzhi Chen4Lu-Ning Wang5School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, ChinaShunde Graduate School, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Foshan 528399, ChinaSchool of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, ChinaShunde Graduate School, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Foshan 528399, ChinaSchool of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, ChinaSchool of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, ChinaGraphitic carbon nitride (<i>g</i>-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>), as a polymeric semiconductor, is promising for ecological and economical photocatalytic applications because of its suitable electronic structures, together with the low cost, facile preparation, and metal-free feature. By modifying porous <i>g</i>-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>, its photoelectric behaviors could be facilitated with transport channels for photogenerated carriers, reactive substances, and abundant active sites for redox reactions, thus further improving photocatalytic performance. There are three types of methods to modify the pore structure of <i>g</i>-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>: hard-template method, soft-template method, and template-free method. Among them, the hard-template method may produce uniform and tunable pores, but requires toxic and environmentally hazardous chemicals to remove the template. In comparison, the soft templates could be removed at high temperatures during the preparation process without any additional steps. However, the soft-template method cannot strictly control the size and morphology of the pores, so prepared samples are not as orderly as the hard-template method. The template-free method does not involve any template, and the pore structure can be formed by designing precursors and exfoliation from bulk <i>g</i>-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> (BCN). Without template support, there was no significant improvement in specific surface area (SSA). In this review, we first demonstrate the impact of pore structure on photoelectric performance. We then discuss pore modification methods, emphasizing comparison of their advantages and disadvantages. Each method’s changing trend and development direction is also summarized in combination with the commonly used functional modification methods. Furthermore, we introduce the application prospects of porous <i>g</i>-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> in the subsequent studies. Overall, porous <i>g</i>-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> as an excellent photocatalyst has a huge development space in photocatalysis in the future.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/12/1/121<i>g</i>-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>pore structuretemplate methodtemplate-free methodphotocatalysis |
| spellingShingle | Jiaqi Dong Yue Zhang Muhammad Irfan Hussain Wenjie Zhou Yingzhi Chen Lu-Ning Wang <i>g</i>-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>: Properties, Pore Modifications, and Photocatalytic Applications Nanomaterials <i>g</i>-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> pore structure template method template-free method photocatalysis |
| title | <i>g</i>-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>: Properties, Pore Modifications, and Photocatalytic Applications |
| title_full | <i>g</i>-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>: Properties, Pore Modifications, and Photocatalytic Applications |
| title_fullStr | <i>g</i>-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>: Properties, Pore Modifications, and Photocatalytic Applications |
| title_full_unstemmed | <i>g</i>-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>: Properties, Pore Modifications, and Photocatalytic Applications |
| title_short | <i>g</i>-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>: Properties, Pore Modifications, and Photocatalytic Applications |
| title_sort | i g i c sub 3 sub n sub 4 sub properties pore modifications and photocatalytic applications |
| topic | <i>g</i>-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> pore structure template method template-free method photocatalysis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/12/1/121 |
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