Graphitic Carbon Nitride (g-C₃N₄) and its Derivatives as Catalysts for Hydrogen Production

الملخص

This review aims to offer a comprehensive and critical overview of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and its unique derivatives as strategic catalysts for the production of sustainable hydrogen. We systematically examine the relationship between various synthetic pathways, such as thermal condensation, chemical vapor deposition, hydrothermal processing, and template configurations, and their direct effects on the final morphological and catalytic properties, going beyond simple material descriptions. The primary goal of this paper is to assess recent significant advancements in efficiency-enhancement techniques, with particular emphasis on heteroatom doping, sophisticated 2D/2D heterojunction frameworks, Z-scheme/S-scheme designs, defect engineering, and the combination of bimetallic and single-atom co-catalysts. The mechanisms underlying charge-carrier dynamics, active-site distribution, and light-driven redox pathways are fully explained. Finally, this review addresses lingering technical bottlenecks such as rapid charge recombination and scalability, concluding with actionable future perspectives and techno-economic insights necessary to transition g-C3N4 architectures from bench-scale research to industrial-level green hydrogen production.