Recent Progress on the Surface and Bulk Modification of Carbon Nitrides for Photocatalytic Carbon Dioxide Reduction

Photocatalytic CO₂ reduction has been considered as a green and sustainable approach to solve energy and environmental problems. However, the CO₂ reduction efficiency of various types of semiconductor photocatalysts studied at this stage is far from realizing practical applications. The challenge of photocatalytic CO₂ reduction is to design photocatalysts with excellent catalytic performance. This article summarizes the carbon nitride materials for efficient CO₂ reduction and obtaining high value-added products. The physicochemical properties of carbon nitride materials are discussed in terms of the photocatalytic mechanisms (bandgap tuning, high specific surface area, shorter electron–hole transmission paths, increasing the number of active sites, etc.). The present review provides the latest research progress of carbon nitride modification strategies. The prospects and challenges for the application of carbon nitride materials for CO₂ reduction are presented. This review article will provide useful guidance for further research on carbon nitride materials for efficient photocatalytic CO₂ reduction.