Progress in Photocatalysis of g-C3N4 and its Modified Compounds

Abstract

Recently, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), a polymeric semiconductorhas been widely used as a low-cost, stable, and metal-free visible-light-active photocatalyst in the sustainable utilization of solar energy, such as water splitting, organic photosynthesis, and environmental remediation, which has attracted world wide attention from energy and environmental relative fields. Base on analysis of structure and theoretical calculation, the reasons that g-C3N4 can be used as a non-metallic catalyst were discussed in this paper. Some group's research jobs that metal-supported g-C3N4, metal-supported g-C3N4/organnic semiconductor compound and heterogeneous junction adjust the semiconductor electronic band structure have been summarized. And the mechanism, effect factors, and research developments on the reaction of organic degradation by photocatalytic and splitting water for hydrogen revolution catalyzed by above-mentioned modified g-C3N4 were emphatically analyzed. Finally, the prospects for the development of highly efficient g-C3N4 based photocatalysts are also discussed.