Thin-wall hollow porous cystic-like graphitic carbon nitride with awakened n→π* electronic transitions and exceptional structural features for superior photocatalytic degradation of sulfamethoxazole

Recent advances in the design and preparation of graphitic carbon nitride for photocatalysis

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has recently gained tremendous attention as a promising photocatalyst for environmental and energy-related applications owing to its high thermal and physicochemical stability as well as its suitable band structure. However, bulk g-C3N4, typically synthesized by directly heating N-rich small molecules, often suffers from severe aggregation, a low specific surface area for light harvesting and rapid recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. These factors significantly hinder its photocatalytic efficiency. Consequently, considerable efforts have been devoted to the rational design and synthesis of g-C3N4 with tailored morphologies and controllable electronic and band structures, utilizing both top-down and bottom-up approaches. Thus far, in addition to the conventional and commonly used methods for carbon nitride preparation, new techniques and precursor families are continuously being developed. This review discusses the latest advancements in synthetic approaches for g-C3N4-based materials and provides valuable insights into utilizing these methods to enhance their photocatalytic performance. Finally, the review concludes by presenting an outlook on the future directions and challenges in the development of CN materials for photocatalysis.

Promoting the suitability of graphitic carbon nitride and metal oxide nanoparticles: A review of sulfonamides photocatalytic degradation

The widespread consumption of pharmaceutical drugs and their incomplete breakdown in organisms has led to their extensive presence in aquatic environments. The indiscriminate use of antibiotics, such as sulfonamides, has contributed to the development of drug-resistant bacteria and the persistent pollution of water bodies, posing a threat to human health and the safety of the environment. Thus, it is paramount to explore remediation technologies aimed at decomposing and complete elimination of the toxic contaminants from pharmaceutical wastewater. The review aims to explore the utilization of metal-oxide nanoparticles (MONPs) and graphitic carbon nitrides (g-C3N4) in photocatalytic degradation of sulfonamides from wastewater. Recent advances in oxidation techniques such as photocatalytic degradation are being exploited in the elimination of the sulfonamides from wastewater. MONP and g-C3N4 are commonly evolved nano substances with intrinsic properties. They possessed nano-scale structure, considerable porosity semi-conducting properties, responsible for decomposing wide range of water pollutants. They are widely applied for photocatalytic degradation of organic and inorganic substances which continue to evolve due to the low-cost, efficiency, less toxicity, and more environmentally friendliness of the materials. The review focuses on the current advances in the application of these materials, their efficiencies, degradation mechanisms, and recyclability in the context of sulfonamides photocatalytic degradation.