Photoresponsive polymeric carbon nitride-based materials: Design and application

Recently polymeric carbon nitride-based materials have attracted tremendous attention for their outstanding photoresponsive properties, promising their great potential in various photoexcitation-related applications such as photocatalysis, photoelectrochemistry, photoluminescence, etc. On the basis of the understanding of the photoexcitation processes and structural features in the intriguing polymeric system, enormous efforts have been devoted to the optimization of photoresponsive performance via structure engineering, leaving various strategies for gaining efficient photoresponsive applications. In this review, we summarize recent advances in the exploitation of photoresponsive polymeric carbon nitride-based materials, highlighting the unique photoexcitation processes involved therein. We review the universal optimization strategies for the design of advanced photoresponsive materials, providing insights into the relationships between structural factors and photoexcitation processes in polymeric carbon nitride-based materials. Then photoresponsive applications and the involved functional mechanisms of polymeric carbon nitride-based materials are discussed. We conclude the review with a brief discussion of the future challenges and opportunities for the developments of polymeric carbon nitride-based materials.