Emerging polymeric carbon nitride Z-scheme systems for photocatalysis

Polymeric carbon nitride (g-C3N4)-based Z-scheme photocatalysts have attracted widespread attention owing to their notable light-harvesting capability, spatially separated reductive and oxidative active sites, and strong redox ability. This review article presents a panorama of the latest developments of g-C3N4-based Z-scheme photocatalysts for various applications. The development status and basic working principle of g-C3N4-based Z-scheme photocatalysts is introduced. After that, the characterization technologies for g-C3N4-based Z-scheme photocatalysts are discussed. Later, a series of representative g-C3N4-based Z-scheme photocatalysts for various photocatalytic applications, including water splitting, CO2 reduction, N2 fixation, and H2O2 production are exemplified. Finally, this review offers some perspectives on the major challenges and opportunities for future research in this emerging field. There is little doubt that advanced g-C3N4-based Z-scheme nanostructured materials could act as highly efficient photocatalysts to achieve new breakthroughs for diverse photocatalysis applications.