Selective Oxidation of 5-Hydroxymethyl Furfural Coupled with H<sub>2</sub> Production over Surface Sulfur Vacancy-Rich Zn<sub>3</sub>In<sub>2</sub>S<sub>6</sub>/Bi<sub>2</sub>MoO<sub>6</sub> Heterojunction Photocatalyst
Shaofeng Xiong, Xiaona Liu, Zhigang Shen, Zhong-Ting Hu, Hong‐Yun Yang, Jian Hao, Jinjun Cai, Jie Yang
Abstract
The construction of heterojunctions and surface defects is a promising strategy for enhancing photocatalytic activity. A surface sulfur vacancy (V S )-rich Zn 3 In 2 S 6 /Bi 2 MoO 6 heterojunction photocatalyst (ZIS-V S /BMO) was herein developed for the selective oxidation of biomass-derived 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) to value-added 2,5-diformylfuran (DFF) coupled with H 2 production. The ZIS-V S /BMO heterojunction consisted of Bi 2 MoO 6 (BMO) with preferentially exposed high-index (131) facets and V S -rich two-dimensional (2D) Zn 3 In 2 S 6 (ZIS-V S ) nanosheets with preferentially exposed high-index (102) facets. The directional transfer of light-driven electrons from BMO to ZIS-V S occurs in the heterojunction interface, as confirmed by an in situ irradiated XPS (ISI-XPS) measurement, which facilitates the electron–hole separation. The benefits of V S in activating HMF, suppressing overoxidation of DFF, and accelerating electron transport were disclosed by molecular simulation. ZIS-V S /BMO displays outstanding performance with a DFF yield of 74.1% and a DFF selectivity of 90%, as well as a rapid rate of H 2 evolution. This research would help design highly efficient photocatalysts and develop a new technology for biomass resource utilization.