Three-dimensional network structure assembled by g-C3N4 nanorods for improving visible-light photocatalytic performance

[Display omitted] •3D network structure g-C3N4 assembled by nanorods (3D g-C3N4 NR) was fabricated via a chemical tailoring route.•3D g-C3N4 NR increases the specific surface area and accelerates the charge carrier transfer kinetics.•The visible-light photocatalytic performance of 3D g-C3N4 NR has been greatly improved. Bulk g-C3N4 has suffered from its low specific surface area and high recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Herein, three-dimensional network structure g-C3N4 assembled by nanorods (3D g-C3N4 NR) was successfully fabricated via a chemical tailoring route. The as-prepared 3D g-C3N4 NR exhibits lager specific surface areas (6.7 times of bulk g-C3N4) and faster charge carrier transfer kinetics. Hence, the visible-light photocatalytic activities for degradation of phenol and hydrogen evolution over 3D g-C3N4 NR are evidently enhanced, 4.3 and 5.9 times as high as that of bulk g-C3N4, respectively. Briefly, this work throws light on structural tuning of carbon nitride polymer photocatalysts for improved solar energy capture and conversion.