Design and engineering of graphitic carbon nitride-based binary and ternary heterostructures for efficient photocatalysis

With rapid population growth and global industrialization, environmental contamination and the energy crisis have become two of humanity's biggest issues. Recently, graphitic carbon nitride (CN) has gained attention for its unique characteristics, including a simple synthesis method, non-toxic nature, notable photocatalytic activity, and a visible-light-active band gap. These qualities make it a sustainable, effective, and attractive photocatalyst for addressing environmental pollution and energy challenges. However, its practical application is hindered by the rapid charge recombination rate. This review specifically highlights recent modification strategies and heterostructure designs that effectively enhance light absorption, charge separation, and surface activity of CN, providing a concise comparison of their photocatalytic efficiencies for energy and environmental remediation. Finally, this work discusses key challenges and outlines prospects to boost the efficiency of CN-based photocatalysts for environmental and energy applications.