Few-layer carbon nitride photocatalysts for solar fuels and chemicals: Current status and prospects

Abstract

Converting sunlight directly to fuels and chemicals is a great latent capacity for storing renewable energy. Due to the advantages of large surface area, short diffusion paths for electrons, and more exposed active sites, few-layer carbon nitride (FLCN) materials present great potential for production of solar fuels and chemicals and set off a new wave of research in the last few years. Herein, the recent progress in synthesis and regulation of FLCN-based photocatalysts, and their applications in the conversion of sunlight into fuels and chemicals, is summarized. More importantly, the regulation strategies from chemical modification to microstructure control toward the production of solar fuels and chemicals has been deeply analyzed, aiming to inspire critical thinking about the effective approaches for photocatalyst modification rather than developing new materials. At the end, the key scientific challenges and some future trend of FLCN-based materials as advanced photocatalysts are also discussed. The recent progress in constructing FLCN-based photocatalysts, starting from synthesis techniques to chemical modification and microstructure mediation, then to their application in the conversion of sunlight into fuels and chemicals, is summarized. The key scientific challenges and some future trend of FLCN-based materials as advanced photocatalysts are also discussed.