Recent advances of melamine self-assembled graphitic carbon nitride-based materials: Design, synthesis and application in energy and environment

[Display omitted] •Melamine self-assembly can adjust the shape and structure of the material.•Melamine self-assembly is an effective measure to synthesize high-performance g-C3N4-based materials.•The type, mechanism, influencing factors and recent advances of self-assembly are highlighted.•Provides guidance for scientific researchers to develop and design high-performance g-C3N4-based materials. The increasing pollution of the environment and the depletion of energy are currently facing and urgently need to be resolved. In recent years, various technologies have been exploited to try to solve these problems. Researchers are mainly committed to developing high-performance materials. This review discusses the construction of ordered graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4)-based materials by melamine self-assembly. Firstly, the self-assembly types, corresponding synthesis strategies, characteristics and recent advances are reviewed from the perspectives of material source and product shape. Meanwhile, the effects of molecular structure, solution environment, synthesis methods and the presence of other substances on the self-assembly behavior are also discussed. In addition, we present the synthesis mechanisms from multiple sides. Finally, the applications in environment and energy are summarized, and the future research directions are also proposed. This review provides new insights into the design and construction of high-performance ordered g-C3N4-based materials for environment and energy.