Hard template synthesis of porous carbon nitride materials with improved efficiency for photocatalytic CO2 utilization

• Porous carbon nitrides were obtained via bulk and matrix pyrolysis of melamine.
• Carbon nitride obtained in MCF has the highest bandgap and photocatalytic activity.
• Acetaldehyde was the major product of the photoreduction reaction of CO2.

Porous carbon nitrides of different morphology were obtained via bulk and hard template (SBA-15 and MCF) pyrolysis of melamine. Matrix method allowed obtaining ordered porous C3N4 with higher bandgap (2.87 eV) in the contrary to the bulk sample (2.45 eV). Obtained carbon nitrides were found to be p-type semiconductors with catalytic activity towards photoreduction of carbon dioxide with water vapour. Carbon nitride obtained in MCF has the higher bandgap, developed surface, sponge-like morphology, spatially ordering and it's characterized by the highest photocatalytic activity.

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