From Traditional Strategies to Z-scheme Configuration in Graphitic Carbon Nitride Photocatalysts: Recent Progress and Future Challenges

• Published in: Applied catalysis. B, Environmental Vol. 276; p. 119157
• Main Authors: Jourshabani, Milad, Lee, Byeong-Kyu, Shariatinia, Zahra
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 05.11.2020; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Alternative energy sources; Carbon; Carbon nitride; Graphitic carbon nitride; Photocatalysis; Photocatalyst; Photocatalysts; Renewable energy; Solar energy; Solar energy conversion; State-of-the-art achievements; Z-scheme systems; Renewable energy; Z-scheme systems; Photocatalyst; State-of-the-art achievements; Graphitic carbon nitride
• ISSN: 0926-3373; 1873-3883
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apcatb.2020.119157

[Display omitted] •This review is started off with a short outlook on historic learning about g-C3N4 and its modification strategies.•The Z-scheme g-C3N4-based photocatalyst (ZGP) which in turn mimic natural photosynthesis in green plants shows a fascinating configuration for renewable energy production and environment remediation.•The recent state-of-the-art achievements of ZGP with promising strategies are provided.•The identification techniques of Z-scheme mechanism is also scope of the paper.•It also simply presents different types of ZGP with unique redox abilities for specific target reactions to open a purposeful avenue in constructing next photocatalysts. Graphitic carbon nitride (g–C3N4) photocatalyst has attracted great interest, because of its potential to convert solar energy to renewable energy. This review offers a concise historical outlook on the modifications of g–C3N4, i.e., from non-metal doping to Z-scheme g–C3N4-based photocatalyst (ZGP), and presenting the advantages and shortcomings of these various modifications. ZGPs systems that can fulfill all necessary requirements of the photocatalytic stages are disclosed, and categorized into type ZI and type ZII combinations, based on the band alignments of counterparts. Based on the category, ZGPs with unique redox abilities can be constructed for specific target reactions. This might open a purposeful direction for constructing the next generation photocatalysts. Moreover, evidence of the mechanism of the recent state-of-the-art achievements of ZGPs, including g–C3N4/metal/SC, g–C3N4/C/SC, and direct Z-scheme g–C3N4/SC systems, is also reviewed, together with promising strategies. Finally, the challenges and opportunities of ZGP are summarized.