Bandgap engineering control bifunctional MnxCd1-xS photocatalysts selectively reforming xylose to C3 organic acids and efficient hydrogen production

• Published in: Journal of colloid and interface science 2023-12, Vol.652, p.2066-2075
• Main Authors: Liu, Yuqi, Kang, Fuyan, Bi, Chunyu, Shi, Junming, Gao, Guoyang, An, Yulong, Huang, Zhanhua
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: C3 organic acids; H2 production; MnxCd1-xS; Photoreformation; Xylose
• ISSN: 0021-9797; 1095-7103
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.09.023

[Display omitted] •Enhanced oxidation capacity of Mn-Cd-S photocatalysts by bandgap engineering.•Cogeneration of high value-added chemicals and clean energy from biomass.•Innovatively selective oxidation of xylose to C3 organic acids by modulating photocatalyst band structure.•Possible pathways and mechanisms for photoreforming xylose conversion. The simultaneous reforming of biomass into high value-added chemicals and H2 production by water splitting in a green and environmentally clean way is a very challenging task. Herein, we demonstrate the design of bifunctional MnxCd1-xS photocatalyst with a controllable band gap by bandgap engineering. Bandgap engineering effectively regulates the oxidation and reduction capacity of materials. The design of photocatalysts with suitable conduction bands and valence bands makes the targeted conversion of xylose possible. Innovative conversion of xylose to glyceric acid, lactic acid, and propanoic acid. The optimized Mn0.7Cd0.3S catalyst showed excellent performance in the production of H2 (14.06 mmol·gcat-1·h−1, 29.9 times more than CdS and 351.5 times more than MnS), xylose conversion (90%), and C3 organic acid yield (59.2%) without cocatalyst and any scavengers under visible light irradiation. This work shows that a rational photocatalyst design can achieve efficient simultaneous production of high value-added chemicals and clean energy.