Enhanced hydrogen and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) production via photoreforming of cotton cellulose: role of cellulose allomorphs in Pt–g-C3N4–Bi3TiNbO9 catalysis
{"title":"Enhanced hydrogen and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) production via photoreforming of cotton cellulose: role of cellulose allomorphs in Pt–g-C3N4–Bi3TiNbO9 catalysis","authors":"Xiang-Tao Xuan, Hui Zhang, Jia-Le Yao, Ya-Ping Miao, Wei Fan, Xiang-Zhi Dong, Chen-Min Dai, Jiao-Jiao Miao","doi":"10.1007/s10570-025-06475-1","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Photoreforming cellulose to simultaneously produce 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) and hydrogen represents a promising strategy for harnessing solar energy. However, the development of highly efficient photocatalysts for this reaction remains a challenge, and the influence of cellulose’s crystalline structure on conversion efficiency is not well understood. In this study, a Pt-modified g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>–Bi<sub>3</sub>TiNbO<sub>9</sub> heterojunction photocatalyst was synthesized to explore the photocatalytic reforming of four crystalline forms of cellulose. The results demonstrate that the crystalline structure of cellulose significantly affects hydrogen and 5-HMF production, with the order of activity being cellulose III > IV > II > I. Among the cellulose types tested, cellulose III exhibited the highest performance, achieving 51.8 μmol g⁻<sup>1</sup> h⁻<sup>1</sup> of hydrogen and 113.4 μmol g⁻<sup>1</sup> h⁻<sup>1</sup> of 5-HMF, surpassing the yields from cellulose I, II, and IV when using the Pt<sub>1.0</sub>–g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>–Bi<sub>3</sub>TiNbO<sub>9</sub>(2:1) heterojunction. Additionally, a lower degree of polymerization of cellulose was found to favor the coproduction of hydrogen and 5-HMF, as it enhances the breakdown of cellulose via reactive species. Factors such as cellulose powder size, solution pH, and catalyst-cellulose interactions were also shown to influence the yields. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed an electron migration of 0.019684e between the O 2<i>p</i> and Bi 6<i>p</i> orbitals of Bi<sub>3</sub>TiNbO<sub>9</sub>(220) and the C 2<i>p</i> and N 2<i>p</i> orbitals of g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>, confirming interfacial electron transfer. The calculated adsorption energies followed the trend: cellulose IV (− 1.72 eV) > I (− 1.73 eV) > II (− 1.94 eV) > III (− 2.07 eV), consistent with experimental results, except for cellulose IV.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3>\n<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":511,"journal":{"name":"Cellulose","volume":"32 5","pages":"3055 - 3075"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Cellulose","FirstCategoryId":"88","ListUrlMain":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10570-025-06475-1","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"MATERIALS SCIENCE, PAPER & WOOD","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Photoreforming cellulose to simultaneously produce 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) and hydrogen represents a promising strategy for harnessing solar energy. However, the development of highly efficient photocatalysts for this reaction remains a challenge, and the influence of cellulose’s crystalline structure on conversion efficiency is not well understood. In this study, a Pt-modified g-C3N4–Bi3TiNbO9 heterojunction photocatalyst was synthesized to explore the photocatalytic reforming of four crystalline forms of cellulose. The results demonstrate that the crystalline structure of cellulose significantly affects hydrogen and 5-HMF production, with the order of activity being cellulose III > IV > II > I. Among the cellulose types tested, cellulose III exhibited the highest performance, achieving 51.8 μmol g⁻1 h⁻1 of hydrogen and 113.4 μmol g⁻1 h⁻1 of 5-HMF, surpassing the yields from cellulose I, II, and IV when using the Pt1.0–g-C3N4–Bi3TiNbO9(2:1) heterojunction. Additionally, a lower degree of polymerization of cellulose was found to favor the coproduction of hydrogen and 5-HMF, as it enhances the breakdown of cellulose via reactive species. Factors such as cellulose powder size, solution pH, and catalyst-cellulose interactions were also shown to influence the yields. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed an electron migration of 0.019684e between the O 2p and Bi 6p orbitals of Bi3TiNbO9(220) and the C 2p and N 2p orbitals of g-C3N4, confirming interfacial electron transfer. The calculated adsorption energies followed the trend: cellulose IV (− 1.72 eV) > I (− 1.73 eV) > II (− 1.94 eV) > III (− 2.07 eV), consistent with experimental results, except for cellulose IV.
期刊介绍:
Cellulose is an international journal devoted to the dissemination of research and scientific and technological progress in the field of cellulose and related naturally occurring polymers. The journal is concerned with the pure and applied science of cellulose and related materials, and also with the development of relevant new technologies. This includes the chemistry, biochemistry, physics and materials science of cellulose and its sources, including wood and other biomass resources, and their derivatives. Coverage extends to the conversion of these polymers and resources into manufactured goods, such as pulp, paper, textiles, and manufactured as well natural fibers, and to the chemistry of materials used in their processing. Cellulose publishes review articles, research papers, and technical notes.