Oxidative Photopolymerization of 3,4‐Ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) via Graphitic Carbon Nitride: A Modular Toolbox for Attaining PEDOT**

Binaphthyl Mediated Low Temperature Synthesis of Carbon Nitride Photocatalyst for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Metal-free graphitic carbon nitrides are on the rise as polymer photocatalysts under visible light illumination, taking shares in a range of promising photocatalytic reactions, including water splitting. Their simple synthesis and facile structural modification afford them exceptional tunability, enabling the creation of photocatalysts with distinct properties. While their metal-free nature marks a significant step towards environmental sustainability, the high energy consumption required to produce carbon nitride photocatalysts remains a substantial barrier to their widespread adoption. Furthermore, the process of condensation at approximately 550 °C typically results in solid yields of less than 15 %, significantly challenging their economic viability. Here, we report on lowering manufacturing conditions of carbon nitride photocatalysts whilst enhancing photocatalytic activity by introducing binaphthyl diamine as a structural mediator. At 450 °C in 2 hours, carbon nitride photocatalyst shows a lower bandgap and enables visible light induced hydrogen evolution (194 μmol h-1) comparable to benchmark carbon nitride photocatalysts.

Light-Mediated Polymerization Catalyzed by Carbon Nanomaterials

Carbon nanomaterials, specifically carbon dots and carbon nitrides, play a crucial role as heterogeneous photoinitiators in both radical and cationic polymerization processes. These recently introduced materials offer promising solutions to the limitations of current homogeneous systems, presenting a novel approach to photopolymerization. This review highlights the preparation and photocatalytic performance of these nanomaterials, emphasizing their application in various polymerization techniques, including photoinduced i) free radical, ii) RAFT, iii) ATRP, and iv) cationic photopolymerization. Additionally, it discusses their potential in addressing contemporary challenges and explores prospects in this field. Moreover, carbon nitrides, in particular, exhibit exceptional oxygen tolerance, underscoring their significance in radical polymerization processes and allowing their applications such as 3D printing, surface modification of coatings, and hydrogel engineering.

Microporous Sulfur-Carbon Materials with Extended Sodium Storage Window

Developing high-performance carbonaceous anode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) is still a grand quest for a more sustainable future of energy storage. Introducing sulfur within a carbon framework is one of the most promising attempts toward the development of highly efficient anode materials. Herein, a microporous sulfur-rich carbon anode obtained from a liquid sulfur-containing oligomer is introduced. The sodium storage mechanism shifts from surface-controlled to diffusion-controlled at higher synthesis temperatures. The different storage mechanisms and electrode performances are found to be independent of the bare electrode material's interplanar spacing. Therefore, these differences are attributed to an increased microporosity and a thiophene-rich chemical environment. The combination of these properties enables extending the plateau region to higher potential and achieving reversible overpotential sodium storage. Moreover, in-operando small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) reveals reversible electron density variations within the pore structure, in good agreement with the pore-filling sodium storage mechanism occurring in hard carbons (HCs). Eventually, the depicted framework will enable the design of high-performance anode materials for sodium-ion batteries with competitive energy density.

Thiol-ene polymer beads via liquid-liquid printing: armored interfaces and photopolymerization via graphitic carbon nitride

Polymerization of multifunctional thiol-ene molecules is attractive as a proof of concept in photopolymerization, yet the formation of a bead structure is highly restricted. This manuscript will show graphitic carbon nitride based liquid-liquid printing and subsequent photopolymerization to form thiol-ene polymer beads with extreme simplicity and potential scalability.