Urea derived g-C 3N 4 is a highly active CO 2 reduction photocatalyst due to the location and driving force of photogenerated charges.
Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3N 4) synthesised from a urea precursor is an excellent CO 2 reduction photocatalyst using [Co(bpy) n] 2+ as a co-catalyst. A five-fold increase in activity for the highly polymerised urea derived g-C 3N 4 is achieved compared to alternative precursors. Transient absorption, time-resolved and steady-state emission studies indicate that the enhanced activity is related to both an increased driving force for photoelectron transfer and a greater availability of photogenerated charges.