Sustainable co-production of H2 and lactic acid from lignocellulose photoreforming using Pt-C3N4 single-atom catalyst

The co-production of hydrogen and value-added biochemicals from lignocellulose utilizing solar energy has been regarded as one of the technologies most potentially able to alleviate the current energy crisis. Here, we demonstrate a cost-effective photoreforming strategy for lignocellulose valorization using a carbon nitride-supported platinum single-atom photocatalyst. An advanced H₂ evolution rate of 6.34 mmol mol_Pt^–1 h^–1 is achieved over the optimal catalyst, which is around 4.6 and 30.5 times higher compared with the nanosized Pt counterpart and pristine carbon nitride, respectively. Meanwhile, the monosaccharides are oxidized to value-added lactic acid with >99% conversion and extraordinary selectivity up to 97%. The theoretical calculations show that with Pt incorporation, the photogenerated holes are predominantly localized on the metal sites while the photogenerated electrons are concentrated on C₃N₄, thus enhancing the effective separation of charge carriers. This work provides a promising avenue for the simultaneous production of green H₂ and bio-based chemicals by biomass photorefinery.