The
surging demand for energy and staggering pollutants in the
environment have geared the scientific community to explore sustainable
pathways that are economically feasible and environmentally compelling.
In this context, harnessing solar energy using semiconductor materials
to generate charge pairs to drive photoredox reactions has been envisioned
as a futuristic approach. Numerous inorganic crystals with promising
nanoregime properties investigated in the past decade have yet to
demonstrate practical application due to limited photon absorption
and sluggish charge separation kinetics. Two-dimensional semiconductors
with tunable optical and electronic properties and quasi-resistance-free
lateral charge transfer mechanisms have shown great promise in photocatalysis.
Polymeric graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4)
is among the most promising candidates due to fine-tuned band edges
and the feasibility of optimizing the optical properties via materials
genomics. Constructing a two-dimensional (2D)/2D van der Waals (vdW)
heterojunction by allies of 2D carbon nitride sheets and other 2D
semiconductors has demonstrated enhanced charge separation with improved
visible photon absorption, and the performance is not restricted by
the lattice matching of constituting materials. With the advent of
new 2D semiconductors over the recent past, the 2D/2D heterojunction
assemblies are gaining momentum to design high performance photocatalysts
for numerous applications. This review aims to highlight recent advancements
and key understanding in carbon nitride based 2D/2D heterojunctions
and their applications in photocatalysis, including small molecules
activation, conversion, and degradations. We conclude with a forward-looking
perspective discussing the key challenges and opportunity areas for
future research.