Visible-light-mediated high-efficiency catalytic oxidation of sulfides using wrinkled C3N4 nanosheets

•Multilayered wrinkled C3N4 nanosheets is obtained via thermal-control synthesis.•The catalyst displays excellent selectivity, recycling stability, long-term durability, notable generality.•Cocatalysis of O2− and 1O2 results in the unprecedented activity in sulfide oxidation.•The electron photoexcitation is valid under the competitive formation of charge carriers and excitons.