Coupled adsorption and photocatalysis of g-C3N4 based composites: Material synthesis, mechanism, and environmental applications

This review provides a comprehensive overview of construction and modification of g-C 3 N 4 -based composites, and their environmental applications via coupled adsorption and photocatalysis, including CO 2 reduction, air pollutants degradation, water pollutants degradation, and bacteria disinfection are systematically summarized. • Synthesis and modification strategies of g-C 3 N 4 and its composites are reviewed. • Mechanism of the coupling of adsorption and photocatalysis (CAP) is elaborated. • CAP in removal of gaseous pollutants via g-C 3 N 4 -based materials is summarized. • CAP in removal of aqueous pollutants using g-C 3 N 4 -based materials is presented. • Conclusions and perspectives of g-C 3 N 4 for environmental applications are proposed. Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 )-based nanomaterials have attracted much attention due to their unique properties, e.g. facile preparation, easy modification, high chemical stability. However, their photocatalytic performance is still limited. In recent years, integrating adsorption and photocatalysis has become a trend due to adsorption is a necessary prerequisite for photocatalytic surface reaction. Herein, the advances in g-C 3 N 4 based materials were summarized in this review, including synthesis, modification, adsorption and photocatalysis mechanism, and environmental applications by integrating adsorption and photocatalysis, mainly focusing on the environmental applications using g-C 3 N 4 based composite. Firstly, the fabrication of pristine g-C 3 N 4 with different precursors was introduced, as well as the exfoliation and morphologies control. Then, multiple modification strategies of g-C 3 N 4 were summarized. Moreover, the mechanisms of adsorption and photocatalysis were introduced. Finally, the diverse environmental applications of g-C 3 N 4 based materials via integrating adsorption-photocatalysis were summarized in detail, e.g. CO 2 reduction, gaseous pollutants degradation, water pollutants degradation, and bacteria disinfection. This review will help researchers to understand the adsorption and photocatalysis coupling technology for environmental applications using g-C 3 N 4 based composite.