Single atomic layer nanosheet materials show great application potential in many fields due to their enhanced intrinsic properties compared to their counterparts and newly born properties. Herein, g-C₃N₄ nanosheets with a single atomic layer structure are prepared by a simple chemical exfoliation method. The as-prepared nanosheets show a single atomic thickness of 0.4 nm and a lateral size of micrometers. The structure and photocatalytic properties of the as-prepared single layer g-C₃N₄ are then studied. Compared with the bulk g-C₃N₄, single layer g-C₃N₄ nanosheets show great superiority in photogenerated charge carrier transfer and separation. Accordingly, the photocatalytic H₂ production and pollutant decomposition activities and photocurrent generation of single layer g-C₃N₄ nanosheets are much higher than those of the bulk g-C₃N₄, indicating the great application potential of single layer g-C₃N₄ nanosheets in photocatalysis and photosynthesis.

A ZnO photocatalyst was hybridized with graphite-like C₃N₄via a monolayer-dispersed method. After hybridization with C₃N₄, the photocurrent of ZnO was enhanced by 5 times under UV irradiation and a photocurrent under visible light irradiation was observed. The photocatalytic activity of C₃N₄/ZnO under UV irradiation was increased by 3.5 times, the visible light photocatalytic activity was generated and the photocorrosion of ZnO was suppressed completely after ZnO was hybridized with C₃N₄. The enhancement in performance and photocorrosion inhibition under UV irradiation was induced by the high separation efficiency of photoinduced holes from ZnO to the HOMO of C₃N₄. Under visible light irradiation, the electron excited from the HOMO to the LUMO of C₃N₄ could directly inject into the CB of ZnO, making C₃N₄/ZnO present visible light photocatalytic activity. The optimum synergetic effect of C₃N₄/ZnO was found at a weight ratio of 3%, which corresponded to a monolayer dispersion of C₃N₄ on the surface of ZnO.

Construction of oxygen-enriched graphitic carbon nitride polymers for highly efficient and selective H₂O₂ production via photocatalytic O₂ reduction.