Recent research progress in photocatalytic reduction of CO2 using g-C3N4-based heterostructures

Abstract

Photocatalytic technology is capable of converting CO₂ into valuable hydrocarbons, providing a new way to solve the problems of fossil fuel shortage and global warming. However, conventional semiconductor photocatalysts are limited by the small specific surface area and insufficient CO₂ adsorption capacity. g-C₃N₄ has attracted much attention due to its non-toxicity, high stability and low-cost. Although the photocatalytic efficiency of pure g-C₃N₄ is constrained by the fast complexation of photogenerated electron/hole pairs, small surface area and insufficient light absorption, the charge separation, surface area and light absorption of g-C₃N₄ can be significantly enhanced by forming heterostructure with large bandgap semiconductor. Such g-C₃N₄-based heterostructures include semiconductor-supported, carbon material-supported, non-metal-supported and metal-organic frameworks-supported, which show great potential in CO₂ photoconversion. However, modified g-C₃N₄-based heterostructures still face challenges and require innovation on research and design. So, this review emphasizes the importance of g-C₃N₄-based heterostructures in environmentally friendly and sustainable approach to CO₂ reduction.