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

Mayuri S. Umekar, Ganesh S. Bhusari*, Toshali Bhoyar, Vidyasagar Devthade, Bharat P. Kapgate, Ajay P. Potbhare, Ratiram G. Chaudhary, Ahmed A. Abdala*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

9 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

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.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)148-169
Number of pages22
JournalCurrent Nanoscience
Volume19
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Charge separation
  • Energy transformation
  • Organic pollutant
  • Photocatalysis
  • Photodegradation
  • g-C3N4-based nanostructures

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Graphitic Carbon Nitride-based Photocatalysts for Environmental Remediation of Organic Pollutants'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this