2D carbon semiconductors and composites are highly promising photocatalysts.

Carbon nitrides, with feasibility of tailored band gap via suitable nanoarchitectonics, are deemed as best catalysts amongst existing materials, especially for HER, OWS, COR, NRR, water oxidation, pollutant removal, and organocatalysis.

Nickel nanoparticle-decorated phosphorous-doped graphitic carbon nitride (Ni@g-PC₃N₄) was synthesized and used as an efficient photoactive catalyst for the reduction of various nitrobenzenes under visible light irradiation. Hydrazine monohydrate was used as the source of protons and electrons for the intended reaction. The developed photocatalyst was found to be highly active and afforded excellent product yields under mild experimental conditions. In addition, the photocatalyst could easily be recovered and reused for several runs without any detectable leaching during the reaction.