Progress of charge carrier dynamics and regulation strategies in 2D CxNy-based heterojunctions

• Published in: Chemical communications (Cambridge, England) Vol. 60; no. 17; pp. 2283 - 2300
• Main Authors: Yuan, Xiaojia, Hu, Xuemin, Lin, Qiuhan, Zhang, Shengli
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge Royal Society of Chemistry 22.02.2024
• Subjects: Carbon; Carbon nitride; Carrier recombination; Current carriers; Energy development; Energy storage; Heterojunctions; Hydrogen-based energy; Metal oxides; Metal sulfides; Optoelectronic devices; Raw materials; Selenides; Transition metals
• ISSN: 1359-7345; 1364-548X
• DOI: 10.1039/d3cc05976f

Two-dimensional carbon nitrides (CxNy) have gained significant attention in various fields including hydrogen energy development, environmental remediation, optoelectronic devices, and energy storage owing to their extensive surface area, abundant raw materials, high chemical stability, and distinctive physical and chemical characteristics. One effective approach to address the challenges of limited visible light utilization and elevated carrier recombination rates is to establish heterojunctions for CxNy-based single materials (e.g. C2N3, g-C3N4, C3N4, C4N3, C2N, and C3N). The carrier generation, migration, and recombination of heterojunctions with different band alignments have been analyzed starting from the application of CxNy with metal oxides, transition metal sulfides (selenides), conductive carbon, and Cx′Ny′ heterojunctions. Additionally, we have explored diverse strategies to enhance heterojunction performance from the perspective of carrier dynamics. In conclusion, we present some overarching observations and insights into the challenges and opportunities associated with the development of advanced CxNy-based heterojunctions.