Research on Graphitic Carbon Nitride (g-C3N4) prepared by template-based method and its photocatalytic properties

Abstract. The Graphitic Carbon Nitride (g-C3N4), a non-metallic polymer photocatalytic material, has a wide range of raw materials and a simple preparation process. Due to its unique electronic structure and excellent photocatalytic performance, g-C3N4 has attracted wide attention in the field of environmental purification and energy conversion in recent years. However, g-C3N4 faces a lot of challenges, including a wide band gap, many interlayer defects, and poor interlayer electron transport. Nevertheless, its unique semiconductor structure and chemical stability still provide the possibility to explore the effect of its piezoelectric properties on photocatalysis, which paves the way for a novel approach to environmentally friendly hydrogen production. Therefore, the paper delves into the application of different template methods in the preparation of g-C3N4 by reviewing the related literature, and analyzes the role of different template materials in the preparation. In addition, in this paper, the photocatalytic properties of g-C3N4 are explored, which are mainly reflected in the photocatalytic water separation performance and photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes. It is found that the g-C3N4 shows great potential in the fields of photocatalytic water decomposition for hydrogen production and degradation of organic pollutants due to its unique band gap, nontoxicity, low cost and wide range of sources. Future research should continue to explore more kinds of template materials and their preparation processes, with the aim of realizing further enhancement of the performance of g-C3N4 photocatalysts and promoting their practical applications in the fields of environment and energy.