Nanocellulose-Assisted Molecularly Engineering of Nitrogen Deficient Graphitic Carbon Nitride for Selective Biomass Photo-Oxidation

Structural modulation of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) remains a major challenge in rational catalyst design for artificial photosynthesis of valuable chemicals. Herein, a cellulose nanofiber (CNF) assisted polymerization is utilized to prepare 1D holey g-C3N4 nanorods (HCN) with nitrogen vacancies and oxygen dopants for photochemical synthesis of lactic acid via monosaccharide photooxidation. The HCN exhibits a remarkable yield of 75.5% for lactic acid from a wide assortment of sugars such as hexose (C5) to pentose (C6), together with an excellent hydrogen production rate of 2.8 mmol h−1 g−1. Mechanistic studies confirm the rapid generation of superoxide radical is responsible for the superior activity, enjoying the synergetic effect between nitrogen vacancies and oxygen dopants. This work provides new directions for the design of green and efficient photocatalysts for biomass upgrading.