High-Crystallinity Carbon Nitride

10x H₂O₂ yield

Precursor polarization improves crystallinity of polymeric carbon nitride, boosting photocatalytic H₂O₂ production by an order of magnitude over conventional microwave-synthesized counterparts.

Jie, Wang · Yue, Wang · Tong, Tian · Xiaolin, Song · Jiang, Daochuan · Yuan, Yupeng

Applied Catalysis B: Environmental 2026

Specifications

Enhancement factor in photocatalytic H₂O₂ production

{'zh': '10', 'en': '10'}

Apparent quantum efficiency

{'zh': '5.63', 'en': '5.63'} %

Advantages

Tenfold production boost

Polarization-directed thermal activation accelerates polycondensation and improves crystallinity and charge transport, leading to tenfold higher photocatalytic H₂O₂ production than conventional microwave-synthesized carbon nitride.

High quantum efficiency

An apparent quantum efficiency of 5.63% at 420 nm demonstrates efficient light utilization.

Enables battery recycling

The photogenerated H₂O₂ can directly dissolve spent LiCoO₂ cathodes without separation, enabling a solar-driven and environmentally benign recycling process.

General design principle

Precursor polarization offers a general strategy to control crystallization of polymeric semiconductors and translate optoelectronic advantages into sustainable chemical processes.

Applications

• Photocatalytic H₂O₂ production：Higher crystallinity improves charge transport, boosting photocatalytic H₂O₂ production by tenfold for on-site oxidant generation.
• Battery recycling：Photocatalytically generated H₂O₂ can directly dissolve spent LiCoO₂ cathodes, avoiding strong acids or high temperatures for mild recycling.
• Polymeric semiconductors：Precursor polarization offers a general strategy to enhance crystallinity, paving the way for high-performance polymeric semiconductors.