Graphitic Carbon Nitride-based Photocatalysts for Environmental Remediation of Organic Pollutants

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) is an extraordinary semiconductor photocatalyst (PC), which transforms solar energy into chemical energy for the photodisintegration of several noxious organic contaminants into non-toxic derivatives. Polymeric g-C₃N₄ is a metal-free PC with high chemical stability, eco-friendly composition, and suitable energy band potential that absorb a significant portion of the solar spectrum. Despite its outstanding characteristics, g-C₃N₄ has some limitations, including low visible light absorption, low surface area, and rapid recoupling of charge carriers. These limitations over-shaded its proficient efficiency as a PC. The current g-C₃N₄ related research focuses on developing g-C₃N₄ nanocomposites (NCs) with high-surface-area, broad light-absorbing, and reduced recombination via physicochemical modifications. This review highlights the latest developments in the synthesis and application of pristine g-C₃N₄ and its NCs with inorganic constituent and nanomaterials. A critical analysis of the strategies to enhance g-C₃N₄’s photocatalytic efficiency via excited charge separation and visible light absorption is also presented. Further-more, the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants (OPs), including dyes, phenol, antibiotics, and pharmaceutical drugs, is summarized herewith.