Ultrathin 2D g-C3N4 nanosheets for visible-light photocatalytic reforming of cellulose into H2 under neutral conditions

BACKGROUND The photocatalytic reforming (PR) of abundant and renewable cellulosic biomass resources into hydrogen (H 2 ) fuel is a promising approach for solar-to-chemical energy conversion. Although the related PR reactions have been investigated, the majority of previous works were operated in strong alkaline conditions (pH > 14) owing to the insolubility of cellulose, and used UV-driven titania (TiO 2 )-based materials as photocatalysts. RESULTS To this end, for the first time, we present ultrathin 2D graphitic-like carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ) nanosheets (CNNs) derived from the thermal-oxidation strategy for PR of cellulose into H 2 under neutral conditions. Compared to bulk g-C 3 N 4 (BCN), the resulting ultrathin CNNs with an average thickness of 6 nm showed a remarkably increased surface area, significantly improved photogenerated charge mobility, higher electrical conductivity and stronger photooxidation capacity. Consequently, the as-prepared CNNs displayed dramatically enhanced visible-light PR activity for H 2 evolution that was 3.93-fold greater than that of BCN under the same conditions. CONCLUSION Our study achieves an available avenue for PR of cellulose into H 2 under neutral conditions without the need for value-added sacrificial reagents, which will bring about potential applications in sustainable H 2 production through the PR reaction. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).