Graphitic carbon nitrides: synthesis and properties

Graphitic carbon nitrides (g-C3N4) is a most established polymer that stayed unexplored for quite a few years. Nitrogen rich substrates, for example, cyanamide, dicyandiamide, melamine, guanidine, and so forth can be polymerized under suitable conditions to get g-C3N4. This reaction proceeds via the formation of several intermediates such as melem, melam, etc. and finally at 550ºC, g-C3N4 is formed, which is also the limiting temperature of this material. G-C3N4 retains exceptional thermal and chemical stability. G-C3N4 is a semiconductor and shows exceptionally high catalytic activities in chemical, photochemical as well as electrochemical reactions which often finds use as a metal-free catalyst.