Advances in Polymeric Carbon Nitride Photocatalysts for Enhanced CO2 Reduction

Photocatalysis has emerged as a promising alternative for converting and utilizing CO2. Polymeric carbon nitride (PCN), typically synthesized through the one-step thermal polycondensation of nitrogen-rich precursors, has shown considerable promise due to its adjustable band structure and inherent safety. Over the past five years, significant literature in this field has identified and heterojunction construction. A detailed discussion on how each modification method influences light absorption, charge separation, and surface reaction efficiencies in photocatalysis is provided. Based on these findings, several future directions for the development of PCN-based materials are proposed, such as designing tailored PCN structures for specific photocatalytic reactions and using theoretical calculations to verify and correct results from current characterization methods. Despite the challenges associated with the large-scale synthesis of PCN materials with controllable structures and satisfactory performance, this work offers valuable insights for advancing photocatalytic PCN-based systems for large-scale solar fuel production.