Solution-Processable Carbon Nitride Polymers for Photoelectrochemical Applications

A general and straightforward synthesis of a series of solution-processable carbon nitride polymers is described with excellent and tunable optical and electronic properties. The high dispersibility of carbon nitride polymers functionalized with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH-CNs) in common solvents permits their facile processing into thin films utilizing routine methods such as spin-coating and drop-casting. Moreover, altering the PAH group within the CN scaffold enables great tunability of their optical and electronic properties as well as a range of functionalities. This is illustrated by a variety of photoelectrochemical properties, electropolymerization ability, and photo-switching properties for the different PAH-CNs. The easy processing and tunable properties allow the construction of advanced electronic structures, such as a heterojunction, which significantly improves the photoelectrochemical performance. The versatility of this solution-processable platform holds promise for the applicability of CNs in new photoelectronic devices.