Architecting high-performance photocatalysts: A review of modified 2D/2D graphene/g-C 3 N 4 heterostructures

The rapid advancement of renewable and sustainable energy technology in response to urgent environmental issues has positioned photocatalysis as a potential and economically feasible alternative. The use of semiconductor photocatalysts is employed in this technique to effectively capture solar energy for an extensive range of redox processes, like carbon dioxide conversion, pollutant removal and photocatalytic water splitting. Nevertheless, the promise of 2D nanostructured photocatalysts, persistent obstacles include the recombined phenomena of electron-hole pairs and limited sunlight absorption. The intimate interface of 2D/2D heterojunctions has gathered substantial interest due to its potential to facilitate effective charge separation and usage. Therefore, this review examines the 2D/2D heterojunctions of graphene and graphitic carbon nitride (graphene/ GCN) and highlights various changes that have been implemented to improve their photocatalytic capabilities. The present research investigates many strategies, including as structural optimization, surface manipulation, and elemental doping, that have been used to enhance efficiency. This study explores theoretical simulations using density functional theory (DFT), offering a comprehensive examination of graphene/GCN 2D/2D heterojunctions including various variations. This review investigates different applications in the area of photocatalytic hydrogen production, organic pollutant degradation, CO2 reduction, and nitric oxide removal. In brief, this investigation enhances the understanding of graphene/GCN 2D/2D heterostructures with different modifications, hence offering valuable insights into their efficacy and sustainability for photocatalytic applications.