Synthesis of Graphene Based Graphitic Carbon Nitride Hybrid Nanocomposite Photocatalysts for Hydrogen Generation: A Mini Review

Abstract

The discovery of visible active photocatalysts for H2 evolution via water splitting is the most awaited and critical goal of many researchers in recent years. Novel polymeric graphitic carbon nitride (GCN/g-CN) has emerged as a versatile material which has attracted the scientific community and industrialist because of its distinctiveness and outstanding electronic properties. g-CN is a metal free semiconductor as well as non-toxic, biodegradable polymeric material with low band gap energy which makes it a promising candidate as a photocatalyst and its efficiency as a catalyst can be modified by forming a hybrid nanocomposite with other semiconducting materials. Reduced graphene oxide, another metal free 2D material is a very good choice for this purpose. This review is an outlook for the synthesis processes and various properties of both g-CN and graphene. Further, it gives the approaches attempted towards the modifications required and done towards the development of a metal-free nano-hybrid material which is cost-effective, eco-friendly, and highly active visible light catalyst for the water- splitting process.