Thin Carbon Nitride Research Articles

Signal-enhanced multi-core fiber-based WaveFlex biosensor for ultra-sensitive xanthine detection.

In this work, we introduce a novel multimode fiber (MMF) - seven core fiber (SCF) - MMF (MCM) optical fiber biosensor, also known as the WaveFlex biosensor (plasma wave assisted fiber biosensor), based on localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) for qualitative detection of xanthine. Xanthine is a purine base widely distributed in human blood and tissues, and commonly used as an indicator for various disease detections. The MCM sensor incorporates a tapered optical fiber structure, fabricated using the combiner manufacturing system (CMS), and is designed with SCF and MMF. By effectively harnessing LSPR, the sensor boosts the attachment points of biomolecules on the probe surface through immobilized tungsten disulfide (WS2)-thin layers, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), and carbon nitride quantum dots (C3N-QDs). The functionalization of xanthine oxidase (XO) on the sensing probe further enhances the sensor's specificity. The proposed WaveFlex biosensor exhibits a remarkable sensitivity of 3.2 nm/mM and a low detection limit of 96.75 µM within the linear detection range of 100 - 900 µM. Moreover, the sensor probe demonstrates excellent reusability, reproducibility, stability, and selectivity. With its sensitivity, biocompatibility, and immense potential for detecting human serum and fish products, this WaveFlex biosensor presents a promising platform for future applications.

Construction of layered SnS2 and g-C3N4 nanoarchitectonics towards pollution degradation and H2 generation

Two dimensional (2D)/2D heterostructures with much interface is advantage to improve the transfer of photogenerated carriers. In this paper, SnS2 nanosheets were horizontally grown on superior thin graphic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets to construct 2D/2D heterostructures with enhanced photocatalytic performance. The g-C3N4 nanosheets (CN) were obtained by a two-step thermal polymerization at 600 and 700 °C. the growth of SnS2 nanosheets was then carried out using a solvothermal synthesis. Preparation parameters including temperature, reaction time, and precursor components were tested to get optimized SnS2/g-C3N4 composite sample 8SnS2-CN. A Z-scheme mechanism was proposed for the discussion of photocatalytic process. The degradation test of Rhodamine B (Rh B) indicated that the degradation rate of Rh B using sample 8SnS2-CN was twice quick compared with g-C3N4 nanosheets, in which Rh B degradation was completed within 15 min. The photocatalytic hydrogen production rate of sample 8SnS2-CN was about 6 times that that of sample CN, which is 1818.75 μmol g−1 L−1. Enhanced photocatalytic performance is ascribed to SnS2 deposited to form well-developed interface which improved the separation and transfer of photogenerated carriers. In addition, the growth of SnS2 was also expended the photo adsorption.

Superhydrophilic 2D Carbon Nitrides Prepared by Direct Chemical Vapor Deposition

Surface wetting greatly impacts the performances of many photocatalysts in a water/humid‐involved medium. Carbon nitrides and its isotopes, as emerging metal‐free low‐cost photocatalysts for water splitting, usually require strong chemical or irradiation treatments to obtain highly hydrophilic surfaces, which can undermine their photocatalytic performances. Herein, an alternative method for the direct synthesis of superhydrophilic carbon nitride thin films (CN x , x ≈ 0.86–1.04) and graphitic carbon nitride powder (g‐C3N4) by using chemical vapor deposition is proposed. Less than 5° contact angle with water is accessible on both the surface of the as‐grown CN x thin films and the membranes made from the g‐C3N4 powder. It is found that the remarkable wetting property can be attributed to the spontaneous hydrophilic functionalization group (e.g., –OH, –NO x , = O) supplied by a constant multielemental air flow. The abundant CN triple bonds also promote needle‐shaped nanostructures on the 2D surfaces, which enhances their chemical wettability. Finally, the tremendous potential of this novel technique for direct synthesis of superhydrophilic carbon nitride in photocatalysis applications is demonstrated.

Higher-than-common temperature short-time processed polymeric carbon nitride nanosheets as an efficient photocatalyst for H2 production

Two-dimensional polymeric carbon nitride nanosheets exhibiting unique optical properties are considered promising materials for visible light active photocatalysts. Here, we synthesized thin polymeric carbon nitride nanosheets via the higher-than-common temperature (710 °C) pyrolysis of a polymeric carbon nitride intermediate for 20 min. The exfoliation efficiency of the nanosheets was dramatically improved by the higher-than-common temperature treatment. Notably, compared with the pristine polymeric carbon nitride nanosheets, the synthesized thin polymeric carbon nitride nanosheets exhibited a reduced optical bandgap and more negative conduction band (ECB) positions, which ensured enhanced visible-light absorption and reductive ability. When applied to photocatalytic water-splitting reaction for H2 evolution, the thin polymeric carbon nitride nanosheets exhibited enhanced activity under visible light irradiation, accounting for an optimal H2-evolution rate of 8187 µmol·g−1·h−1 with a Pt loading of 1 wt%, which was approximately six-fold higher than that obtained with the urea-derived pristine polymeric carbon nitride nanosheets. This work provides a rapid, affordable and facile method for synthesizing polymeric carbon nitride nanosheets with high photocatalytic performances.

2D/3D- C3N4/CeO2 S-scheme heterojunctions with enhanced photocatalytic performance

• Successfully developed a novel method to obtain g-C 3 N 4 /CeO 2 composite photo-catalysts via simple, ball milled thermal spreading technique. • Facile control of surface morphology of carbon nitride on ceria. The optical absorption is tuned by morphology control. • The optimum loading was found to be 7.5 wt. %. • Morphology with an intermediate thickness between very thin and bulk carbon nitride on ceria surface is important to achieve maximum efficiency. • High efficiency of methylene blue degradation and good recycling performance. A facile, green and easily scalable method has been developed to facilitate the construction of 2D-C 3 N 4 /3D-CeO 2 heterojunction materials. It uses only cheap urea and ceria in a thermal spreading technique that allows the controlled growth of carbon nitride layers on cerium oxide surface. The exfoliation of bulk carbon nitride and subsequent stabilization of layers on ceria takes place during thermal spreading technique in a single step. Simple variation of carbon nitride allowed to control the morphology of carbon nitride from highly dispersed thin layer up to bulk-like structures over ceria surface. The optical absorption was enhanced with 2D-C 3 N 4 /3D-CeO 2 materials. The variation of structure and consequent differences in the solar powered decomposition of methylene blue has been analyzed. Results reveal that, the optimum loading of 7.5 wt.% carbon nitride can lead to the formation of intermediate structure in between very thin layers and bulk-like structure, that achieves best contact between the two phases making effective heterojuctions. This best catalyst exhibits 98% conversion at a timing of 100 minutes. The radical scavenging studies showed that •O 2− and h+ performed an imperative role. In addition, a plausible mechanism of photo catalytic decomposition is also proposed for 2D-C 3 N 4 /3D-CeO 2 materials.

Preparation of C3N4 Thin Films for Photo-/Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction to Produce Liquid Hydrocarbons

Thermal vapor condensation of melamine at various temperatures was used to fabricate thin graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) films on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrates. Photoanodic (n-type) and photocathodic (p-type) responses were observed simultaneously in the g-C3N4 films. The g-C3N4 film formed at 520 °C with the longest average lifetime of the photo-excited electrons shows the best cathodic photocurrent performance, which was then chosen for electrochemical and photoelectrochemical reduction of CO2. When the basic electrolyte (CO2-saturated 0.5 M KHCO3, pH = 7.6) was adopted, CO2 was electrochemically converted into formaldehyde ((54.6 μM/h)) in the liquid product. When the acidic electrolyte (CO2-saturated 0.5 M KCl, pH = 4.1) was adopted, formaldehyde (39.5 μM/h) and ethanol (15.7 μM/h) were generated through photoelectrochemical reduction, stimulated by the presence of sufficient protons from the electrolyte in the reduction process. Therefore, the pure g-C3N4 film has a great potential for CO2 reduction to value-added liquid hydrocarbons products via electrochemical or photoelectrochemical ways.

Boosted solar water photoreduction by conjugated polymer-mediated tandem charge transfer

Semiconductor materials anchored with transition metal cluster are promising photocatalysts for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. In this paper, Co, N-co-doped graphene modified thin mesoporous carbon nitride (Co-NG/TMCN) was be synthesized through electrostatic adsorption treatment. Extensive characterization was used to explore the morphology, structures and optical properties of the as-prepared photocatalysts. The 10 wt% Co-NG/TMCN exhibited the high photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate (2949 μmol g−1) within 4 h visible light irradiation, which was about 113 times than that of the pure TMCN (26 μmol g−1). Co-NG material with excellent electrical conductivity played a major role in accelerating charge transfer from TMCN material to cobalt atomic clusters. The photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance of Co-NG/TMCN material was effectively improved. Consequently, a feasible approach for doping transition metal clusters to enhance photocatalytic activity was provided.

NiCoP/g-C3N4 Schottky heterojunctions towards efficient photocatalytic NO oxidation

NiCoP/g-C3N4 Schottky heterojunctions were created by a two-step synthesis for enhanced NO oxidation. NiCo-layered double hydroxides (LDH) were grown on superior thin graphic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets by a controlling chemical co-precipitation method. A phosphating process at 300 °C resulted in the transformation in situ of NiCo-LDH into NiCoP composite nanoparticles to create Schottky heterojunctions. Using optimized conditions, heterojunction sample 15-NiCoP/CN revealed excellent photocatalytic NO oxidation with a removal rate of 78%. Photogenerated electrons were efficiently separated and transferred because of Schottky barrier, interfacial charge transport channel, and enhanced light absorption efficiency. Photogenerated electrons reacted with adsorbed O2 to generate superoxide radicals (·O2¯) as crucial active species of NO oxidation. The test indicated that the concentration of·O2¯ for sample 15-NiCoP/CN reached 7.1 × 10−5 M which was 6.5 times higher than that of g-C3N4 after light irradiation. In addition, low NO2 generation and mineralization rate (92%) suggested that NO was converted into NO3- or NO2- rather than NO2 to mitigate secondary pollution. This result supplied a novel approach to explore the application of transition metal phosphides and g-C3N4 in photocatalytic NO oxidation.

Increased solar absorption and promoted photocarrier separation in atomically thin 2D carbon nitride sheets for enhanced visible-light photocatalysis

The preparation of sulfur-doped and nitrogen-vacant CN (S-CN V ) by annealing CN in S vapor is reported. The results show that the formation of C-S-C bonds and the introduction of nitrogen vacancies in S-CN V matrix could contribute to increased solar absorption and promoted photocarrier separation as well as greatly enhanced photocatalytic activity. • The preparation of sulfur-doped and nitrogen-vacant CN (S-CN V ) by annealing CN in S vapor is reported. • This strategy can dramatically increase solar absorption and promote photocarrier separation in atomically thin CN. • The visible-light photocatalytic activity of S-CN V photocatalyst significantly exceeds CN photocatalyst. Atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) carbon nitride (CN) has been widely used in solar energy conversion as a metal-free photocatalyst. However, because of the wide band gap (3.06 eV) and rapid recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, the visible-light photocatalytic efficiency of CN is still low. In this study, successful preparation of sulphur-doped and nitrogen-vacant CN (S-CN V ) by annealing CN in S vapour is reported. The photocatalytic hydrogen production rate of S-CN V under visible-light irradiation (>420 nm) reached 5192.2 μmol h −1 g −1 , which is much higher than that of previously reported CN. The structural characterisations combined with theoretical calculations show that (i) the formation of C-S-C bonds and introduction of nitrogen vacancies in the edges can narrow the band gap of CN from 3.06 to 2.79 eV, which expands the visible-light absorption band; and (ii) the S-CN V charge distribution has local characteristics, which promotes the separation and transmission of photogenerated carriers. This study provides a new approach to narrow the band gap and promote the photoexcited carrier separation in 2D carbon-nitride-based materials.

Precursor-modified strategy to synthesize thin porous amino-rich graphitic carbon nitride with enhanced photocatalytic degradation of RhB and hydrogen evolution performances

The photocatalytic activity of carbon nitride (CN) materials is mainly limited to small specific surface areas, limited solar absorption, and low separation and mobility of photoinduced carriers. In this study, we developed a precursor-modified strategy for the synthesis of graphitic CN with highly efficient photocatalytic performance. The precursor dicyandiamide reformed by different acids undergoes a basic structural change and transforms into diverse new precursors. The thin porous amino-rich HNO3-CN (5H-CN) was calcined by dicyandiamidine nitrate, formed by concentrated nitric acid modified dicyandiamide, and presented the best photocatalytic degradation rate of RhB, more than 34 times that of bulk graphitic CN. Moreover, the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate of 5H-CN significantly improved. The TG-DSC-FTIR analyses indicated that the distinguishing thermal polymerization process of 5H-CN led to its thin porous amino-rich structure, and the theoretical calculations revealed that the negative conduction band potential of 5H-CN was attributed to its amino-rich structure. It is anticipated that the thin porous structure and the negative conduction band position of 5H-CN play important roles in the improvement of the photocatalytic performance. This study demonstrates that precursor modification is a promising project to induce a new thermal polycondensation process for the synthesis of CN with enhanced photocatalytic performance.

3D Fe-MOF embedded into 2D thin layer carbon nitride to construct 3D/2D S-scheme heterojunction for enhanced photoreduction of CO2

Regulating charge transfer to achieve specific transfer path can improve electron utilization and complete efficient photoreduction of CO2. Here, we fabricated a S-scheme heterojunction of CN/Fe-MOF by an in-situ assembly strategy. The S-scheme charge transfer mechanism was confirmed by band structure, electron spin resonance (ESR) and work function (Φ) analysis. On the one hand, the response of Fe-MOF in the visible region improved the utilization of light energy, thus increasing the ability of CN/Fe-MOF to generate charge carriers. On the other hand, CN, as the active site, not only had strong adsorption capacity for CO2, but also retained photogenerated electrons with high reduction capacity because of S-scheme charge transfer mechanism. Hence, in the absence of any sacrificial agent and cocatalyst, the optimized 50CN/Fe-MOF obtained the highest CO yield (19.17 μmol g−1) under UV-Vis irradiation, which was almost 10 times higher than that of CN. In situ Fourier transform infrared spectra not only revealed that the photoreduction of CO2 occurred at the CN, but also demonstrated that the S-scheme charge transfer mechanism enabled 50CN/Fe-MOF to have a stronger ability to generate HCOO− than CN.

Promoted photocarriers separation by straining in 2D/2D van der Waals heterostructures for high-efficiency visible-light photocatalysis

Atomically thin 2D carbon-nitride-based Van der Waals heterostructures (vdWHs) are emerging and promising materials for visible-light-driven photocatalysis. However, a large potential barrier between the heterointerfaces of vdWHs prevents photogenerated carriers from being transported, which further limits their practical applications. Here, we report that the strain promotes photocarriers separation in 2D/2D vdWHs for visible-light photocatalysis. The vdWHs assembled by atomically thin carbon nitride sheets (CNs) and molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) are used as an experimental prototype. Experimental results along with density functional theory (DFT) work show that the electric field caused by straining facilitates the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs and improves the transport of photogenerated carriers. Consequently, the photocatalytic activities of CNs/MoS2 vdWHs were significantly improved in terms of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution and photodegradation of Rhodamine B under visible-light illumination and ultrasonic irradiation. This study opens the gate to vdWHs-based high-performance photocatalysis.

Recent Advances Towards Sustainable Materials and Processes for Energy Conversion and Storage

Recent Advances Towards Sustainable Materials and Processes for Energy Conversion and Storage

Constructing van der Waals Heterogeneous Photocatalysts Based on Atomically Thin Carbon Nitride Sheets and Graphdiyne for Highly Efficient Photocatalytic Conversion of CO2 into CO.

Atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) carbon nitride sheets (CNs) are attracting attention in the field of photocatalytic CO2 reduction. Because of the rapid recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs and limited more active sites, the photocatalytic efficiency of CNs cannot meet the actual requirements. Here, atomically thin 2D/2D van der Waals heterostructures of metal-free graphdiyne (GDY)/CNs are fabricated through a simple electrostatic self-assembly method. Experimental characterizations along with first-principles calculations show that the introduction of GDY in CNs promoted the transport of photogenerated carriers in the melon chain, thus suppressing the recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Both in situ FTIR measurements and DFT calculation confirm that the introduced GDY served as the CO2 adsorption site and enhanced the CO2 adsorption capacity of the CNs/GDY heterostructure. Thanks to the 2D/2D van der Waals heterojunction, the optimized CNs/GDY enhances significantly the CO generation rate up to 95.8 μmol g-1 that is 19.2-fold higher than that of CNs. This work provides a viable approach for the design of metal-free van der Waals heterostructure-based photocatalysts with high catalytic activity.

Realization of Strong Room-Temperature Ferromagnetism in Atomically Thin 2D Carbon Nitride Sheets by Thermal Annealing.

The presence of the intrinsic band gap of 3.06 eV makes atomically thin carbon nitride sheets (CNs) a promising spin-based semiconductor material. However, the absence of localized spins makes the pristine CNs intrinsically nonmagnetic. Here we report the realization of strong room-temperature (RT) ferromagnetism with a high Curie temperature of ca. 524.2 K in atomically thin 2D CNs by annealing pristine CNs at 700 °C. In particular, the RT saturated magnetization reaches as high as 0.71 emu/g, which is the highest value reported so far in carbon-based materials. The structural characterization combined with density functional theory calculations reveals that (i) the seven C-C bonds per unit cell were formed after annealing and (ii) the C-C bonds can introduce high-density localized spins and realize the long-range ferromagnetic couplings among these spins.

Bright and tunable photoluminescence from the assembly of red g-C3N4 nanosheets

It is challenging to construct g-C3N4 (normally as a photocatalyst) with tunable and stable photoluminescence (PL) in solution or in powder form. In this paper, a molten-salt-assisted route has been developed to create red superior thin carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets with redshifted absorption spectrum and narrowed bandgap of 1.91 eV. Interestingly, these g-C3N4 nanosheets exhibit excellent water soluble nature. The colloidal solution of the nanosheets reveals bright, stable, and tunable PL from blue to yellow. The PL of samples depends on the concentration of g-C3N4 nanosheets. At lower concentration, a blue-emitting band is observed, while a green to yellow emitting band is recorded at higher concentration. Namely, the powder sample reveals a broad green to yellow emitting band. A reversible PL phenomenon is observed by precipitation of g-C3N4 colloidal solution. This phenomenon is ascribed to the assembly of these g-C3N4 nanosheets. The PL efficiency of red-coloured g-C3N4 nanosheets powder is 75%. Both powder and colloidal solution g-C3N4 samples reveal excellent PL stability. The PL intensity and efficiency of the powder samples remain almost unchanged after half year. These water-soluble red g-C3N4 nanosheets thus can be effectively utilized for light emitting diodes and bioimages.

Porous Carbon Nitride Thin Strip: Precise Carbon Doping Regulating Delocalized π-Electron Induces Elevated Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.

The photocatalytic efficiency of polymeric carbon nitride is hampered by high carrier recombination rate and low charge transfer. Herein, these issues are addressed by constructing 1D strip-like carbon nitride with a large π-electron conjugated system from carbon-doping, realizing the synchronization control of its electronic structure and morphology. Nicotinic acid, a monomer with the carboxyl group and pyridine ring, and melamine are selected for assembling the strip-like supramolecular via hydrogen bond under hydrothermal process. Both peripheral pyridine unit and hydrogen bond have significant effect on self-assembly process of nicotinic acid and melamine along one dimension to form a strip-like precursor. Subsequently, 1D thin porous strip-like carbon nitride is obtained by calcination treatment of precursor. The as-prepared 1D strip-like carbon nitride with effective π delocalization from carbon-doping and porous structure can accelerate charges and mass transfer and provide extra active sites. Both theoretical and experimental results demonstrate that carbon doping (pyridine heterocycle) narrows the bandgap via manipulating the band position and increases the π electron density. Thus, the 1D porous thin strip-like carbon nitride realizes compelling hydrogen evolution rate (126.2µmol h-1 ), far beyond (≈18 fold) the value of polymeric carbon nitride (PCN) (7.2µmol h-1 ) under visible light irradiation.

Introducing spin polarization into atomically thin 2D carbon nitride sheets for greatly extended visible-light photocatalytic water splitting

Atomically thin 2D carbon nitride sheets (CNs) became one of the most promising solar energy conversion materials. However, the application of CNs is still limited due to two reasons: (i) the bandgap of CNs is wider than its counterpart due to the quantum size effect, which reduces its effective utilization of the entire solar spectrum, and (ii) the visible-light photocatalytic activity of CNs is still low due to its faster recombination of photogenerated carriers than photocatalytic reaction. Here, we achieve a strong visible-light absorption band in CNs through fluorination followed by thermal defluorination in Se vapor (Se-CNs). Experimental results and theoretical calculations confirm that the formation of cyano groups accompanied with in-situ Se doping expands the absorption edge of CNs from 416 to 584 nm. More importantly, a downward electron spin polarization in the CNs structure improves dramatically the efficiency of charge separation and surface catalysis reaction. The hydrogen generation rate of Se-CNs with 3 wt% Pt under visible-light irradiation (> 420 nm) reaches up to 5411.2 μmol h−1 g−1 that is 176.5 times of the hydrogen generation of CNs. Additionally, the visible-light photocatalytic oxygen evolution of Se-CNs acquires tremendous improvements. This work provides a new approach for improving electron structure of atomically thin 2D non-metal semiconductor materials.

Van der Waals heterojunction for selective visible-light-driven photocatalytic CO2 reduction

The product selectivity and efficiency of photocatalytic CO2 reduction are often restricted by the multi-electron transfer and reactive centers in the artificial photosynthetic system. To overcome these limitations, in this work, atomically thin carbon nitride (CN) coupled Bi9O7.5S6 (BOS) nanoplates were fabricated as a two-dimensional/two-dimensional (2D/2D) Van der Waals (VDW) heterojunction for CO2 photoreduction. Our experimental and density functional theory (DFT) calculations showed that the CO* could be adsorbed more strongly on BOS than CN, which could be further hydrogenated before desorption, explaining the observation why the main products of photocatalytic CO2 reduction on BOS was CH4 and CH3OH. Benefiting from the 2D/2D VDW heterojunction, 20CN/BOS revealed a CO generation rate of 37.2 μmol gcatalyst−1 under visible light irradiation, roughly 14.9-fold and 1.4-fold higher than that of BOS and CN alone. Our work paves a way to design new VDW hetero-structured photocatalysts for CO2 reduction to valuable products.

Au nanoparticles-doped g-C3N4 nanocomposites for enhanced photocatalytic performance under visible light illumination

Surface and bandgap engineering of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) could be vital in enhancing photocatalytic performance by suppressing the recombination rate of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. The present report investigated the doping effects of various wt.% (0.2–5.0%) of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) to g-C3N4 (Au/g-C3N4) for the enhancement of the photocatalytic efficiency of g-C3N4 nanocomposites. A straightforward and cost-effective synthesis methodology has been applied for the desired nanocomposites. Relevant characterization tools such as XRD, XPS, TEM, FTIR, and UV–Vis were utilized to analyze various physicochemical properties. The TEM images clearly show that spherical Au NPs were homogeneously distributed into the thin carbon nitride graphitic layers, confirming the successful doping of Au. The higher-magnification TEM image confirms that the sizes of the Au NPs varied from 15 to 25 nm. The photoactivity of the newly designed Au/g-C3N4 nanocomposites has been evaluated for the degradation of both methylene blue dye and the drug gemifloxacin mesylate, and their efficiencies were compared with that of bare g-C3N4. Our findings revealed that Au/g-C3N4 nanocomposites with various Au contents had superior photocatalytic activity compared to bare g-C3N4. However, the 1%Au/g-C3N4 nanocomposite could be considered the optimum photocatalyst, producing 95.13% destruction of the target dye molecule in 90 min, in contrast to the 69% achieved with bare g-C3N4, under the clean energy of visible light illumination. Additionally, the photodegradation rate of the 1%Au/g-C3N4 nanocomposite is 2.69 times higher than the rate of bare g-C3N4. This report might open a new gateway towards a straightforward and cost-effective synthesis approach for Au/g-C3N4 nanocomposites and provides a smooth and robust platform for the utilization of this new nanocomposite for environmental remediation processes.