Solvent mediated colloids assembly realizing controllable morphology regulations of carbon nitride for enhanced photocatalytic water purification

Template-engaged bottom-up strategy has been shown as a promising way for the controllable synthesis of materials with designed architectures, while precise morphology controlment of carbon nitride via the top-down process is still a challenge. Herein, by using water soluble carbonitride nanodots as starting material, an innovative solvent mediated top-down strategy is proposed for the synthesis of carbon nitride with controllable morphologies. We verify that solvent polarity plays a key role in guiding the carbonitride nanodots directional assembly, leading to the formation of rice panicle, nano rod, nano needle, nano net, and seaweed shaped morphologies when using CO2 saturated water, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, and acetic acid as solvents, respectively. These unique architectures with highly open-up surface not only guide the charge directional transfer to accelerate the electron-hole separation, but also can promote the mass transfer during the catalytic reactions. By virtue of these merits, the as-prepared carbon nitride architectures exhibit excellent photocataltyic performances toward antibiotics degradation. The work demonstrated here offer a new avenue in the synthesis of architectures with controllable morphologies for energy and environment related applications. [Display omitted] •Solvent triggered CN dots self-assembly enables controllable synthesis of CN architectures.•CN nanostructures with high open-up surface boosts charge directional transportation.•CN-based system exhibits excellent ROS triggered water decontamination activity.