Emerging role of graphitic carbon nitride in advanced supercapacitors: A comprehensive review

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ) is a nitrogen-rich semiconducting material that combines various metal oxides, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), graphene, PEDOT, etc., leveraging the strengths of each component while mitigating the limitations of g-C 3 N 4 . These g-C 3 N 4 -based battery-type, flexible, and photo-supercapacitors enable their advanced energy applications. Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ), known for its green and abundant nature and composed of carbon and nitrogen in a two-dimensional structure, has emerged as a significant area of interest across various disciplines, particularly in energy conversion and storage. Its recent demonstrations of high potential in supercapacitor applications mark it as a promising alternative to graphene within the realm of materials science. Numerous favorable features, such as chemical and thermal stability, abundant nitrogen content, eco-friendly attributes, and gentle conditions for synthesis, are shown. This review summarizes recent advancements in the use of g-C 3 N 4 and its composites as electrodes for supercapacitors, highlighting the advantages and issues associated with g-C 3 N 4 in these applications. This emphasizes situations where the composition of g-C 3 N 4 with other materials, such as metal oxides, metal chalcogenides, carbon materials, and conducting polymers, overcomes its limitations, leading to composite materials with improved functionalities. This review discusses the challenges that still need to be addressed and the possible future roles of g-C 3 N 4 in the research of advanced supercapacitor technology, such as battery-hybrid supercapacitors, flexible supercapacitors, and photo-supercapacitors.