Carbon Nitride Aerogels for the Photoredox Conversion of Water

Recent progress of MOF-functionalized nanocomposites: From structure to properties

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are novel crystalline porous materials assembled from metal ions and organic ligands. The adaptability of their design and the fine-tuning of the pore structures make them stand out in porous materials. Furthermore, by integrating MOF guest functional materials with other hosts, the novel composites have synergistic benefits in numerous fields such as batteries, supercapacitors, catalysis, gas storage and separation, sensors, and drug delivery. This article starts by examining the structural relationship between the host and guest materials, providing a comprehensive overview of the research advancements in various types of MOF-functionalized composites reported to date. The review focuses specifically on four types of spatial structures, including MOFs being (1) embedded in nanopores, (2) immobilized on surface, (3) coated as shells and (4) assembled into hybrids. In addition, specific design ideas for these four MOF-based composites are presented. Some of them involve in situ synthesis method, solvothermal method, etc. The specific properties and applications of these materials are also mentioned. Finally, a brief summary of the advantages of these four types of MOF composites is given. Hopefully, this article will help researchers in the design of MOF composite structures.

Organic Molecule Bifunctionalized Polymeric Carbon Nitride for Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Peroxide Production

Modifying the polymeric carbon nitride (CN) with organic molecules is a promising strategy to enhance the photocatalytic activity. However, most previously reported works show that interchain embedding and edge grafting of the organic molecule can hardly be achieved simultaneously. Herein, we successfully synthesized organic molecule bifunctionalized CN (MBCN) through copolymerization of melon and sulfanilamide at a purposely elevated temperature of 550 °C. In MBCN, the edge grafted and interchain embedded benzene rings act as the electron-donating group and charge-transfer channel, respectively, rendering efficient photocatalytic H2 O2 production. The optimal MBCN exhibits a significantly improved non-sacrificial photocatalytic H2 O2 generation rate (54.0 μmol g-1  h-1 ) from pure water, which is 10.4 times that of pristine CN. Experimental and density functional theory (DFT) calculation results reveal that the enhanced H2 O2 production activity of MBCN is mainly attributed to the improved photogenerated charge separation/transfer and decreased formation energy barrier (▵G) from O2- to the intermediate 1,4-endoperoxide (⋅OOH). This work suggests that simultaneous formation of electron donating group and charge transfer channel via organic molecule bifunctionalization is a feasible strategy for boosting the photocatalytic activity of CN.

A quadruple-strategy of modification on carbon nitride boosts oxygen reduction for high performance photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide production

This paper reports a quadruple-strategy for material design, simultaneously applying morphology control, group modification, defect engineering and alkali metal doping to the design of catalysts, and successfully constructing irregular clusters of carbon nitride (pMNK-CN) with excellent photogenerated carrier separation performance and structural stability. The pMNK-CN is an irregular flower cluster-like morphology with a nanosheet structure on the surface, and the repolymerization process of the prepolymer in the microvoid of the metal salt gives it an open pore structure. With the help of essential characterization, it was confirmed that the heptazine unit in the backbone underwent partial decomposition due to the etching of metal salts at high temperatures, reducing the overall polymerization and introducing cyano and nitrogen vacancies. Meanwhile, the potassium ion embedded in the lattice can induce the growth of ordered structures and thus improve the short-range order. The pMNK-CN possesses a hydrogen peroxide production efficiency of 240.0 μmol·g-1·h-1 in pure water, which is 31 times higher than that of bulk carbon nitride. And the apparent quantum efficiencies of pMNK-CN in the 380 and 420 nm bands are 17.5 % and 14.8 % in the presence of isopropanol. The effects of each modification strategies on the electronic structure of carbon nitride were investigated using First-Principles, and it was demonstrated that the multiple modification strategies synergistically enhanced the optical absorption, photogenerated charge separation efficiency, and lowered the reaction energy barrier, thus greatly contributing to the oxygen reduction to hydrogen peroxide performance.

Photosynthesis of Hydrogen Peroxide Based on g-C3 N4 : The Road of a Cost-Effective Clean Fuel Production

Emerging artificial photosynthesis promises to offer a competitive means for solar energy conversion and further solves the energy crisis facing the world. Hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ), which is considered as a benign oxidant and a prospective liquid fuel, has received worldwide attention in the field of artificial photosynthesis on account of the source materials are just oxygen, water, and sunlight. Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3 N4 )-based photocatalysts for H2 O2 generation have attracted extensive research interest due to the intrinsic properties of g-C3 N4 . In this review, research processes for H2 O2 generation on the basis of g-C3 N4 , including development, fabrication, merits, and disadvantages, and the state-of-the-art methods to enhance the performance are summarized after a brief introduction and the mechanism analysis of an efficient catalytic system. Also, recent applications of g-C3 N4 -based photocatalysts for H2 O2 production are reviewed, and the significance of active sites and synthetic pathways are highlighted from the view of reducing barriers. Finally, this paper ends with some concluding remarks to reveal the issues and opportunities of g-C3 N4 -based photocatalysts for producing H2 O2 in a high yield.

Molecular Level Modulation of Anthraquinone-containing Resorcinol-formaldehyde Resin Photocatalysts for H2 O2 Production with Exceeding 1.2 % Efficiency

Designing polymeric photocatalysts at the molecular level to modulate the photogenerated charge behavior is a promising and challenging strategy for efficient hydrogen peroxide (H₂ O₂ ) photosynthesis. Here, we introduce electron-deficient 1,4-dihydroxyanthraquinone (DHAQ) into the framework of resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) resin, which modulates the donor/acceptor ratio from the perspective of molecular design for promoting the charge separation. Interestingly, H₂ O₂ can be produced via oxygen reduction and water oxidation pathways, verified by isotopic labeling and in situ characterization techniques. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations elucidate that DHAQ can reduce the energy barrier for H₂ O₂ production. RF-DHAQ exhibits excellent overall photosynthesis of H₂ O₂ with a solar-to-chemical conversion (SCC) efficiency exceeding 1.2 %. This work opens a new avenue to design polymeric photocatalysts at the molecular level for high-efficiency artificial photosynthesis.

Extended Conjugation Tuning Carbon Nitride for Non-sacrificial H2 O2 Photosynthesis and Hypoxic Tumor Therapy

Artificial photocatalysis offers a clean approach for producing H₂ O₂ . However, the poor selectivity and activity of H₂ O₂ production hamper traditional industrial applications and emerging photodynamic therapy (PDT)/chemodynamic therapy (CDT). Herein, we report a C₅ N₂ photocatalyst with a conjugated C=N linkage for selective and efficient non-sacrificial H₂ O₂ production in both normoxic and hypoxic systems. The strengthened delocalization of π-electrons by linkers in C₅ N₂ downshifted the band position, thermodynamically eliminating side H₂ evolution reaction and kinetically promoting water oxidation. As a result, C₅ N₂ had a competitive solar-to-chemical conversion efficiency of 0.55 % in overall H₂ O₂ production and exhibited by far the highest activity under hypoxic conditions (698 μM h^-1 ). C₅ N₂ was further applied to hypoxic PDT/CDT with outstanding performance in apparent cancer cell death and synchronous bioimaging. The study sheds light on the photosynthesis of H₂ O₂ by carbon nitrides for health applications.

Phosphorus Tailors the d-Band Center of Copper Atomic Sites for Efficient CO2 Photoreduction under Visible-Light Irradiation

Photoreduction of CO₂ into solar fuels has received great interest, but suffers from low catalytic efficiency and poor selectivity. Herein, two single-Cu-atom catalysts with unique Cu configurations in phosphorus-doped carbon nitride (PCN), namely, Cu₁ N₃ @PCN and Cu₁ P₃ @PCN were fabricated via selective phosphidation, and tested in visible light-driven CO₂ reduction by H₂ O without sacrificial agents. Cu₁ N₃ @PCN was exclusively active for CO production with a rate of 49.8 μmol_CO  g_cat ^-1  h^-1 , outperforming most polymeric carbon nitride (C₃ N₄ ) based catalysts, while Cu₁ P₃ @PCN preferably yielded H₂ . Experimental and theoretical analysis suggested that doping P in C₃ N₄ by replacing a corner C atom upshifted the d-band center of Cu in Cu₁ N₃ @PCN close to the Fermi level, which boosted the adsorption and activation of CO₂ on Cu₁ N₃ , making Cu₁ N₃ @PCN efficiently convert CO₂ to CO. In contrast, Cu₁ P₃ @PCN with a much lower Cu 3d electron energy exhibited negligible CO₂ adsorption, thereby preferring H₂ formation via photocatalytic H₂ O splitting.

Processing of aerogels and their applications toward CO2 adsorption and electrochemical reduction: a review

Aerogels are a unique class of nanoporous ultralight materials exhibiting wide range of textural characteristic properties and tunable porosities. Due to their remarkable features such as low density, high surface area, low refractive index, small thermal conductivity, low dielectric constant and low sound velocity, they exhibit a wide range of applications in different areas such as electronics, thermal and acoustic insulation, chemistry, biomedicine and optics. The special advantages of these materials are that they can be produced in different forms such as monoliths/granular, bead/microspheres, thin films or sheets and as blankets. Aerogels are found to be potential materials for the removal of CO₂ through adsorption or electrochemical reduction. There is a plethora of research on different kinds of aerogels used for CO₂ adsorption process. Research has been going on toward the development of aerogel-based electrocatalyst, which can be used for valorization of CO₂ through electrochemical reduction methods. Although most of the review papers have covered applications of aerogels in CO₂ capture, very few discuss the processing of aerogels, more so on their applications in CO₂ valorization. In this review, we have collated literature of different forms of aerogels currently available and the steps involved in their fabrication process. In addition, we have covered applications of aerogels in CO₂ capture. Furthermore, we focussed on the basic principles involved in the development of an aerogel electrocatalyst as well as recent developments of aerogels in electrochemical CO₂ reduction.

A Crystalline Partially Fluorinated Triazine Covalent Organic Framework for Efficient Photosynthesis of Hydrogen Peroxide

A partially fluorinated, metal-free, imine-linked two-dimensional triazine covalent organic framework (TF₅₀ -COF) photocatalyst was developed. Fluorine (F)-substituted and nonsubstituted units were integrated in equimolar amounts on the edge aromatic units, where they mediated two-electron O₂ photoreduction. F-substitution created an abundance of Lewis acid sites, which regulated the electronic distribution of adjacent carbon atoms and provided highly active sites for O₂ adsorption, and widened the visible-light-responsive range of the catalyst, while enhancing charge separation. Varying the proportion of F maximized the interlayer interactions of TF₅₀ -COF, resulting in improved crystallinity with faster carrier transfer and robust photostability. The TF₅₀ -COF catalyst demonstrates high selectivity and stability in O₂ photoreduction into H₂ O₂ , with a high H₂ O₂ yield rate of 1739 μmol h^-1  g^-1 and a remarkable apparent quantum efficiency of 5.1 % at 400 nm, exceeding the performance of previously reported nonmetal COF-based photocatalysts.

Lignin-Supported Heterogeneous Photocatalyst for the Direct Generation of H2O2 from Seawater

The development of smart and sustainable photocatalysts is in high priority for the synthesis of H₂O₂ because the global demand for H₂O₂ is sharply rising. Currently, the global market share for H₂O₂ is around 4 billion US$ and is expected to grow by about 5.2 billion US$ by 2026. Traditional synthesis of H₂O₂ via the anthraquinone method is associated with the generation of substantial chemical waste as well as the requirement of a high energy input. In this respect, the oxidative transformation of pure water is a sustainable solution to meet the global demand. In fact, several photocatalysts have been developed to achieve this chemistry. However, 97% of the water on our planet is seawater, and it contains 3.0-5.0% of salts. The presence of salts in water deactivates the existing photocatalysts, and therefore, the existing photocatalysts have rarely shown reactivity toward seawater. Considering this, a sustainable heterogeneous photocatalyst, derived from hydrolysis lignin, has been developed, showing an excellent reactivity toward generating H₂O₂ directly from seawater under air. In fact, in the presence of this catalyst, we have been able to achieve 4085 μM of H₂O₂. Expediently, the catalyst has shown longer durability and can be recycled more than five times to generate H₂O₂ from seawater. Finally, full characterizations of this smart photocatalyst and a detailed mechanism have been proposed on the basis of the experimental evidence and multiscale/level calculations.

3D Printed Scaffolds for Monolithic Aerogel Photocatalysts with Complex Geometries

Monolithic aerogels composed of crystalline nanoparticles enable photocatalysis in three dimensions, but they suffer from low mechanical stability and it is difficult to produce them with complex geometries. Here, an approach to control the geometry of the photocatalysts to optimize their photocatalytic performance by introducing carefully designed 3D printed polymeric scaffolds into the aerogel monoliths is reported. This allows to systematically study and improve fundamental parameters in gas phase photocatalysis, such as the gas flow through and the ultraviolet light penetration into the aerogel and to customize its geometric shape to a continuous gas flow reactor. Using photocatalytic methanol reforming as a model reaction, it is shown that the optimization of these parameters leads to an increase of the hydrogen production rate by a factor of three from 400 to 1200 µmol g^-1 h^-1 . The rigid scaffolds also enhance the mechanical stability of the aerogels, lowering the number of rejects during synthesis and facilitating handling during operation. The combination of nanoparticle-based aerogels with 3D printed polymeric scaffolds opens up new opportunities to tailor the geometry of the photocatalysts for the photocatalytic reaction and for the reactor to maximize overall performance without necessarily changing the material composition.

Photocatalytic Air Purification Using Functional Polymeric Carbon Nitrides

The techniques for the production of the environment have received attention because of the increasing air pollution, which results in a negative impact on the living environment of mankind. Over the decades, burgeoning interest in polymeric carbon nitride (PCN) based photocatalysts for heterogeneous catalysis of air pollutants has been witnessed, which is improved by harvesting visible light, layered/defective structures, functional groups, suitable/adjustable band positions, and existing Lewis basic sites. PCN-based photocatalytic air purification can reduce the negative impacts of the emission of air pollutants and convert the undesirable and harmful materials into value-added or nontoxic, or low-toxic chemicals. However, based on previous reports, the systematic summary and analysis of PCN-based photocatalysts in the catalytic elimination of air pollutants have not been reported. The research progress of functional PCN-based composite materials as photocatalysts for the removal of air pollutants is reviewed here. The working mechanisms of each enhancement modification are elucidated and discussed on structures (nanostructure, molecular structue, and composite) regarding their effects on light-absorption/utilization, reactant adsorption, intermediate/product desorption, charge kinetics, and reactive oxygen species production. Perspectives related to further challenges and directions as well as design strategies of PCN-based photocatalysts in the heterogeneous catalysis of air pollutants are also provided.

Photoinduced Self-Assembly of Carbon Nitride Quantum Dots

The study of nanocrystal self-assembly into superlattices or superstructures is of great significance in nanoscience. Carbon nitride quantum dots (CNQDs), being a promising new group of nanomaterials, however, have hardly been explored in their self-organizing behavior. Here we report of a unique irradiation-triggered self-assembly and recrystallization phenomenon of crystalline CNQDs (c-CNQDs) terminated by abundant oxygen-containing groups. Unlike the conventional self-assembly of nanocrystals into ordered superstructures, the photoinduced self-assembly of c-CNQDs resembles a "click reaction" process of macromolecules, in which the activated -OH and -NH₂ functional groups along the perimeters initiate cross-linking of adjacent QDs through a photocatalytic effect. Our findings unveil fundamental physiochemical features of CNQDs and open up new possibilities of manipulating carbon nitride nanomaterials via controlled assembly. Prospects for potential applications are discussed as well.

A Fully Coplanar Donor-Acceptor Polymeric Semiconductor with Promoted Charge Separation Kinetics for Photochemistry

Charge generation and separation are regarded as the major constraints limiting the photocatalytic activity of polymeric photocatalysts. Herein, two new linear polyarylether-based polymers (PAE-CPs) with distinct linking patterns between their donor and acceptor motifs were tailor-made to investigate the influence of different linking patterns on the charge generation and separation process. Theoretical and experimental results revealed that compared to the traditional single-stranded linker, the double-stranded linking pattern strengthens donor-acceptor interactions in PAE-CPs and generates a coplanar structure, facilitating charge generation and separation, and enabling red-shifted light absorption. With these prominent advantages, the PAE-CP interlinked with a double-stranded linker exhibits markedly enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to that of its single-strand-linked analogue. Such findings can facilitate the rational design and modification of organic semiconductors for charge-induced reactions.

Sol-Gel Processing of Water-Soluble Carbon Nitride Enables High-Performance Photoanodes*

In spite of the enormous promise that polymeric carbon nitride (PCN) materials hold for various applications, the fabrication of high-quality, binder-free PCN films and electrodes has been a largely elusive goal to date. Here, we tackle this challenge by devising, for the first time, a water-based sol-gel approach that enables facile preparation of thin films based on poly(heptazine imide) (PHI), a polymer belonging to the PCN family. The sol-gel process capitalizes on the use of a water-soluble PHI precursor that allows formation of a non-covalent hydrogel. The hydrogel can be deposited on conductive substrates, resulting in formation of mechanically stable polymeric thin layers. The resulting photoanodes exhibit unprecedented photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance in alcohol reforming and highly selective (∼100 %) conversions with very high photocurrents (>0.25 mA cm-2 under 2 sun) down to <0 V vs. RHE. This enables even effective PEC operation under zero-bias conditions and represents the very first example of a 'soft matter'-based PEC system capable of bias-free photoreforming. The robust binder-free films derived from sol-gel processing of water-soluble PCN thus constitute a new paradigm for high-performance 'soft matter' photoelectrocatalytic systems and pave the way for further applications in which high-quality PCN films are required.

Intrinsic Defects in Polymeric Carbon Nitride for Photocatalysis Applications

Introducing intrinsic defects in polymeric carbon nitride (PCN) without the addition of exotic atoms have been verified as an available strategy to boost the photocatalytic performance. This minireview focuses on the fundamental classifications and positive roles of intrinsic defects in PCN for photocatalysis applications. The intrinsic defects in PCN are classified into several types, such as nitrogen vacancy, carbon vacancy and derivative functional groups such as cyano, amino and cyanamide groups. The critical roles of these defects on the electronic configuration, charge transfer and surface properties of PCN are also carefully classified and elaborated. Furthermore, the photocatalysis applications of the defective PCN including photocatalytic water splitting, N₂ fixation, H₂ O₂ production, CO₂ reduction and NO removal are summarized. In the end, the challenges and opportunities of defect chemistry in PCN for photocatalysis field are presented.

g-C3N4/Pt/BiVO4 nanocomposites for highly efficient visible-light photocatalytic removal of contaminants and hydrogen generation

Inspired by natural photosynthesis, artificial heterojunction photocatalysts have been extensively studied. Herein, a novel ternary graphitic carbon nitride/platinum/bismuth vanadate (g-C₃N₄/Pt/BiVO₄) photocatalytic system was successfully synthesized, where Pt/BiVO₄ nanosheet is anchored on the surface of layered g-C₃N₄, as evidenced by structural observations. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy are carried out to identify the position of the conduction band and valence band. A Z-scheme is used to interpret the superior photocatalytic performance of g-C₃N₄/Pt/BiVO₄ and further verified by the capture of free radicals and terephthalic acid photoluminescence experiments. Compared with the g-C₃N₄/BiVO₄ binary system, the Z-scheme g-C₃N₄/Pt/BiVO₄ photocatalyst not only possesses enhanced carrier separation efficiency but also maintains sufficient redox properties, thus inducing superior photocatalytic activity. More importantly, the novel Z-scheme photocatalyst exhibits excellent recycle stability, which could provide inspiration for the rational design of efficient and practical photocatalysts for environmental pollution treatment. The ternary photocatalyst also exhibits significantly enhanced visible-light photocatalytic hydrogen production performance.

Water-Soluble Polymeric Carbon Nitride Colloidal Nanoparticles for Highly Selective Quasi-Homogeneous Photocatalysis

Heptazine-based polymeric carbon nitrides (PCN) are promising photocatalysts for light-driven redox transformations. However, their activity is hampered by low surface area resulting in low concentration of accessible active sites. Herein, we report a bottom-up preparation of PCN nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution (ca. 10±3 nm), which are fully soluble in water showing no gelation or precipitation over several months. They allow photocatalysis to be carried out under quasi-homogeneous conditions. The superior performance of water-soluble PCN, compared to conventional solid PCN, is shown in photocatalytic H2 O2 production via reduction of oxygen accompanied by highly selective photooxidation of 4-methoxybenzyl alcohol and benzyl alcohol or lignocellulose-derived feedstock (ethanol, glycerol, glucose). The dissolved photocatalyst can be easily recovered and re-dissolved by simple modulation of the ionic strength of the medium, without any loss of activity and selectivity.

Toward Efficient Preconcentrating Photocatalysis: 3D g-C3N4 Monolith with Isotype Heterojunctions Assembled from Hybrid 1D and 2D Nanoblocks

The macroscopic integration of the microscopic catalyst is one of the most promising strategies for photocatalytic technology in facing practical applications. However, in addition to the unsatisfactory photoactivated exciton separation, a new problem restricting the catalytic efficiency is the unmatched kinetics between the reactant diffusion and the photochemical reaction. Here, we report an isotype heterojunctional three-dimensional g-C₃N₄ monolith which is assembled from the hybrid building blocks of the nanowires and nanosheets. Benefiting from its hierarchically porous network and abundant heterojunctions, this catalytic system exhibits inherently promoted efficiency in light absorption and exciton separation, thus leading to a desirably improved photocatalytic performance. Furthermore, thanks to the structural and functional advantages of the constructed g-C₃N₄ monolith, a novel strategy of preconcentrating photocatalysis featuring the successive filtration, adsorption, and photocatalysis has been further developed, which could technically coordinate the kinetic differences and result in over-ten-time enhancement on the efficiency compared with the traditional photocatalytic system. Beyond providing new insights into the structural design and innovative application of the monolithic photocatalyst, this work may further open up novel technological revolutions in sewage treatment, air purification, microbial control, etc.

Enhancing Visible-Light Hydrogen Evolution Performance of Crystalline Carbon Nitride by Defect Engineering

Crystalline carbon nitride (CCN)-based semiconductors have recently attracted widespread attention in solar energy conversion. However, further modifying the photocatalytic ability of CCN always results in a trade-off between high crystallinity and good photocatalytic performance. Herein, a facile defect engineering strategy was demonstrated to modify the CCN photocatalysts. Results confirmed that the obtained D-CCN maintained the high crystallinity; additionally, the hydrogen production rate of D-CCN was approximately 8 times higher than that of CCN. Particularly, it could produce H₂ even if the incident light wavelength extended to 610 nm. The significantly improved photocatalytic activity could be ascribed to the introduction of defects into the CCN polymer network to form the midgap states, which significantly broadened the visible-light absorption range and accelerated the charge separation for photoredox catalysis.

LiCl as Phase-Transfer Catalysts to Synthesize Thin Co2 P Nanosheets for Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Inorganic salts have been widely studied as templates for the synthesis of 2D layer structures. However, these salts normally can only serve as templates without any catalytic activity. Here, we report that LiCl used for the synthesis of ultrathin nanosheets not only serves as template for the synthesis of ultrathin Co₂ P nanosheets with a thickness of 0.7 nm but also acts as a catalyst that induces the phase-transfer from CoP to Co₂ P. The Co₂ P nanosheets have a high electrochemical performance for oxygen evolution reaction.

Enhanced photocatalytic performance of black phosphorene by isoelectronic co-dopants

Isoelectronic co-dopants enhance the photocatalytic hydrogen production properties without affecting the band gap feature of pure black phosphorene.

Lattice Engineering on Metal Cocatalysts for Enhanced Photocatalytic Reduction of CO2 into CH4

Photocatalytic conversion of CO₂ into CH₄ represents an appealing approach to alleviate the world's continued reliance on fossil fuels and global warming resulting from increasing CO₂ concentrations in the atmosphere. However, its practical application is greatly limited by serious electron-hole recombination in the photocatalysts and the production of CO and H₂ as side reactions. Herein, for the first time, it is demonstrated that the photocatalytic reduction of CO₂ to CH₄ can be significantly improved through the simultaneous alloying and hydriding of metal cocatalysts. The isolation of Cu and H atoms in Pd lattices play three roles in the enhancement of CO₂ to CH₄ conversion: 1) Cu atoms provide catalytic sites to reduce CO₂ into CO and then to CH₄ to suppress H₂ evolution; 2) H atoms improve the electron-trapping ability of cocatalysts; and 3) H atoms accelerate the reduction of CO to CH₄ , which is the rate-limiting procedure in the conversion of CO₂ into CH₄ . Arising from the synergistic interplay between Pd-H and Cu-CO sites, C₃ N₄ -Pd₉ Cu₁ H_x (15 mg) achieves 100 % selectivity for CH₄ production with an average rate of 0.018 μmol h^-1 under visible-light irradiation. This work provides insights into the design of a cocatalyst for highly selective CO₂ conversion through lattice engineering at atomic precision.

Photophysics and Photocatalysis of Melem: A Spectroscopic Reinvestigation

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN) is one potential metal-free photocatalyst. The photocatalytic mechanism of g-CN is related to the heptazine ring building unit. Melem is the simplest heptazine-based compound and g-CN is its polymeric product. Thus, studies on the photophysical properties of melem will help to understand the photocatalytic mechanism of heptazine-based materials. Herein, the spectroscopic features of melem were systematically explored through measuring its absorption spectrum, fluorescence spectrum, and fluorescence decay. Both fluorescence spectroscopy and fluorescence decay measurements show that the condensation of melamine to melem causes stronger photoluminescence, whereas the condensation of melem to g-CN causes weaker photoluminescence. In addition, all observations reveal that a mixture of monomer melem and its higher condensates is more easily obtained during the preparation of melem, and that the higher condensates of melem affect the photophysical properties of melem dominantly. The photocatalytic hydrogen evolution of melem has also been measured and the monomer melem has negligible photoinduced water-splitting activity.

Graphitic Carbon Nitride as a Distinct Solid Stabilizer for Emulsion Polymerization

g-C₃ N₄ has been found to be highly functional in many fields, such as photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, and chemical analysis. Pickering emulsion polymerization is a fascinating strategy to fabricate a range of nanomaterials, in which the emulsion is stabilized by solid particles, rather than molecular surfactants. Herein, we demonstrate that g-C₃ N₄ can act as a remarkable stabilizer for Pickering emulsion polymerization. Contrary to normal Pickering systems, monodisperse polystyrene microspheres with tunable size, surface charge, and morphology were achieved using this approach. Importantly, the g-C₃ N₄ hybridized latex is highly processable and has exhibited multiple functions: manufacture of photonic crystals via self-organization, stabilizing Pickering emulsion owing to proper wettability, and acting as bioimaging agents with enriched fluorescent colors. Considering the easy synthesis and low cost of g-C₃ N₄ , our approach has a high potential for scale-up synthesis and practical translation.

Bioinspired Mesoporous Chiral Nematic Graphitic Carbon Nitride Photocatalysts modulated by Polarized Light

Endowing materials with chirality and exploring the responses of the material under circularly polarized light (CPL) can enable further insight into the physical and chemical properties of the semiconductors to be gained, thus expanding on optoelectronic applications. Herein a bioinspired mesoporous chiral nematic graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃ N₄ ) for efficient hydrogen evolution with polarized light modulation based on chiral nematic cellulose nanocrystal films prepared through silica templating is described. The mesoporous nematic chiral g-C₃ N₄ exhibits an ultrahigh hydrogen evolution rate of 219.9 μmol h^-1 (for 20 mg catalyst), corresponding to a high enhancement factor of 55 when compared to the bulk g-C₃ N₄ under λ>420 nm irradiation. Furthermore, the chiral g-C₃ N₄ material exhibits unique photocatalytic activity modulated by CPL within the absorption region. This CPL-assisted photocatalytic regulation strategy holds great promise for a wide range of applications including optical devices, asymmetric photocatalysis, and chiral recognition/separation.