Light-Driven Carbon Nitride Panel Technologies for Emerging Photocatalytic Applications

Heterogeneous photocatalysis offers a sustainable alternative to many energy-intensive industrial processes; however, its scalability remains limited because common photoreactor designs rely on powder-based photocatalysts. This perspective explores the transition from traditional batch powder photocatalysis to scalable continuous-flow photocatalytic panels, with a focus on polymeric carbon nitride (CN) materials. Although CN has beneficial properties, such as ease of synthesis and stability, its use has been mainly limited to suspended powder systems for hydrogen production, hydrogen peroxide formation, CO2 reduction, and organic transformations. We review recent advancements in the development of CN-based photocatalytic panels (PCPs), highlighting scalable synthesis methods, including in situ growth techniques that enable direct polymerization onto substrates. The perspective covers photocatalytic system designs, PCP synthesis methods, structural characterization techniques, and applications in both batch and flow reactors. We highlight key challenges in transitioning from lab-scale to commercial-scale production and propose future research directions for CN photocatalytic panels, including learning opportunities from powder photocatalysis and photoelectrochemical systems. This analysis aims to connect laboratory demonstrations with future PCP implementation in industry.