Graphitic Carbon Nitride: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications in Catalysis

TLDR

Graphitic carbon nitride (g‑C3N4) is a polymeric, electron‑rich material composed of C, N, and H that offers basic surface functionalities and H‑bonding motifs, positioning it as a promising complement to conventional carbon materials. This review introduces g‑C3N4, outlines synthesis routes and physicochemical properties, and examines its use in four catalytic contexts. The authors detail synthesis approaches that produce diverse textural structures and surface morphologies of g‑C3N4. The review highlights the advantages of g‑C3N4 for these catalytic roles and encourages exploration of new applications.

Abstract

Graphitic carbon nitride, g-C3N4, is a polymeric material consisting of C, N, and some impurity H, connected via tris-triazine-based patterns. Compared with the majority of carbon materials, it has electron-rich properties, basic surface functionalities and H-bonding motifs due to the presence of N and H atoms. It is thus regarded as a potential candidate to complement carbon in material applications. In this review, a brief introduction to g-C3N4 is given, the methods used for synthesizing this material with different textural structures and surface morphologies are described, and its physicochemical properties are referred. In addition, four aspects of the applications of g-C3N4 in catalysis are discussed: (1) as a base metal-free catalyst for NO decomposition, (2) as a reference material in differentiating oxygen activation sites for oxidation reactions over supported catalysts, (3) as a functional material to synthesize nanosized metal particles, and (4) as a metal-free catalyst for photocatalysis. The reasons for the use of g-C3N4 for such applications are also given, and we expect that this paper will inspire readers to search for further new applications for this material in catalysis and in other fields.