Mingwen Zhang

Bio: Mingwen Zhang is an academic researcher from Fuzhou University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Carbon nitride & Graphitic carbon nitride. The author has an hindex of 16, co-authored 19 publications receiving 5368 citations. Previous affiliations of Mingwen Zhang include Fujian Normal University.

Iodine Modified Carbon Nitride Semiconductors as Visible Light Photocatalysts for Hydrogen Evolution

Abstract: An optimized and general synthetic strategy based on in-situ iodine modifying of polymeric graphitic carbon nitride is discussed. The as-prepared iodine functionalized g-CN shows enhanced electronic and optical properties, as well as increased photocatalytic activities in an assay of hydrogen evolution.

Polycondensation of thiourea into carbon nitride semiconductors as visible light photocatalysts

Abstract: Converting solar energy into hydrogen gas by water splitting is considered as a long-term solution to address global energy and environmental problems. Great effort has been devoted to the search for abundant systems for the purpose of efficient capture, conversion, and storage of solar energy in a cost-effective manner. To further advance the recently-developed carbon nitride photocatalysis for solar hydrogen generation, thiourea, a sulfur-containing compound, was used as a cheap and easily-available starting material for the synthesis of graphitic carbon nitride semiconductors. The as-prepared photocatalysts were subjected to several characterizations, and the results showed that the heating temperature and the presence of sulfur motifs offer a facile chemical pathway for the control of the condensation/polymerization of carbon nitride, and thus adjusting their textural and electronic properties. Photocatalytic activity experiments demonstrated that the g-C3N4 synthesized from thiourea exhibited a much higher H2 production rate than that of g-C3N4 prepared from dicyanamide or urea, and this activity can be further enhanced by increasing the condensation temperature.

Bioinspired hollow semiconductor nanospheres as photosynthetic nanoparticles

Abstract: Photosynthesis occurs at the thylakoid membrane, which acts as a scaffold, precisely arranging functional proteins and electron carriers. Sun et al. synthesize hollow photosynthetic nanospheres that function as light-harvesting antennae and structured scaffolds that improve photoredox catalysis.

Nanospherical Carbon Nitride Frameworks with Sharp Edges Accelerating Charge Collection and Separation at a Soft Photocatalytic Interface

Abstract: Shape engineering of a g-C3 N4 framework, with interconnecting nanosheets and highly open-up spherical surfaces with sharp edges, can easily accelerate charge separation and promote mass transfer for photoredox catalysis, achieving an apparent quantum yield of 9.6% at 420 nm in an assay of the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction.

Graphitic Carbon Nitride (g-C3N4)-Based Photocatalysts for Artificial Photosynthesis and Environmental Remediation: Are We a Step Closer To Achieving Sustainability?

Abstract: As a fascinating conjugated polymer, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has become a new research hotspot and drawn broad interdisciplinary attention as a metal-free and visible-light-responsive photocatalyst in the arena of solar energy conversion and environmental remediation. This is due to its appealing electronic band structure, high physicochemical stability, and “earth-abundant” nature. This critical review summarizes a panorama of the latest progress related to the design and construction of pristine g-C3N4 and g-C3N4-based nanocomposites, including (1) nanoarchitecture design of bare g-C3N4, such as hard and soft templating approaches, supramolecular preorganization assembly, exfoliation, and template-free synthesis routes, (2) functionalization of g-C3N4 at an atomic level (elemental doping) and molecular level (copolymerization), and (3) modification of g-C3N4 with well-matched energy levels of another semiconductor or a metal as a cocatalyst to form heterojunction nanostructures. The constructi...

Recent Advances in Ultrathin Two-Dimensional Nanomaterials

Abstract: Since the discovery of mechanically exfoliated graphene in 2004, research on ultrathin two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials has grown exponentially in the fields of condensed matter physics, material science, chemistry, and nanotechnology. Highlighting their compelling physical, chemical, electronic, and optical properties, as well as their various potential applications, in this Review, we summarize the state-of-art progress on the ultrathin 2D nanomaterials with a particular emphasis on their recent advances. First, we introduce the unique advances on ultrathin 2D nanomaterials, followed by the description of their composition and crystal structures. The assortments of their synthetic methods are then summarized, including insights on their advantages and limitations, alongside some recommendations on suitable characterization techniques. We also discuss in detail the utilization of these ultrathin 2D nanomaterials for wide ranges of potential applications among the electronics/optoelectronics, electrocat...

Polymeric Photocatalysts Based on Graphitic Carbon Nitride

Abstract: Semiconductor-based photocatalysis is considered to be an attractive way for solving the worldwide energy shortage and environmental pollution issues. Since the pioneering work in 2009 on graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) for visible-light photocatalytic water splitting, g-C3N4 -based photocatalysis has become a very hot research topic. This review summarizes the recent progress regarding the design and preparation of g-C3N4 -based photocatalysts, including the fabrication and nanostructure design of pristine g-C3N4 , bandgap engineering through atomic-level doping and molecular-level modification, and the preparation of g-C3N4 -based semiconductor composites. Also, the photo-catalytic applications of g-C3N4 -based photocatalysts in the fields of water splitting, CO2 reduction, pollutant degradation, organic syntheses, and bacterial disinfection are reviewed, with emphasis on photocatalysis promoted by carbon materials, non-noble-metal cocatalysts, and Z-scheme heterojunctions. Finally, the concluding remarks are presented and some perspectives regarding the future development of g-C3N4 -based photocatalysts are highlighted.

g-C3N4-Based Heterostructured Photocatalysts

Abstract: Photocatalysis is considered as one of the promising routes to solve the energy and environmental crises by utilizing solar energy. Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has attracted worldwide attention due to its visible-light activity, facile synthesis from low-cost materials, chemical stability, and unique layered structure. However, the pure g-C3N4 photocatalyst still suffers from its low separation efficiency of photogenerated charge carriers, which results in unsatisfactory photocatalytic activity. Recently, g-C3N4-based heterostructures have become research hotspots for their greatly enhanced charge carrier separation efficiency and photocatalytic performance. According to the different transfer mechanisms of photogenerated charge carriers between g-C3N4 and the coupled components, the g-C3N4-based heterostructured photocatalysts can be divided into the following categories: g-C3N4-based conventional type II heterojunction, g-C3N4-based Z-scheme heterojunction, g-C3N4-based p–n heterojunction, g-C3N4/metal heterostructure, and g-C3N4/carbon heterostructure. This review summarizes the recent significant progress on the design of g-C3N4-based heterostructured photocatalysts and their special separation/transfer mechanisms of photogenerated charge carriers. Moreover, their applications in environmental and energy fields, e.g., water splitting, carbon dioxide reduction, and degradation of pollutants, are also reviewed. Finally, some concluding remarks and perspectives on the challenges and opportunities for exploring advanced g-C3N4-based heterostructured photocatalysts are presented.