Molecularly Imprinted-g-C3N5 for Photocatalytic Oxidation of d-glucose

Enantioselective catalytic oxidation of d -glucose has been extensively applied in food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. In this work, a nitrogen-rich graphitic carbon nitride ( g- C 3 N 5 ) was synthesized through the pyrolysis of 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole. This material exhibited a reduced band gap, enhanced electrical conductivity, and superior photocatalytic performance compared to graphitic C 3 N 4 ( g- C 3 N 4 ), facilitating more efficient photocatalytic oxidation of glucose with higher yield. The surface of g- C 3 N 5 was subsequently capped with a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) layer by employing d -glucose as the template molecule, and 4-vinylphenylboronic acid as the functional monomer. The resulting g- C 3 N 5 -MIPs demonstrated the ability to selectively photocatalyze the oxidation of d -glucose, producing d -glu acid and H 2 O 2 . Notably, the relative selectivity coefficient for d -glucose over l -glucose increased by a factor of 8.79 compared to the non-imprinted g- C 3 N 5 . This work presents an effective approach for synthesizing advanced g-C 3 N 5 -MIP-based photocatalysts, and highlights their potential for highly enantioselective aerobic oxidation of d -glucose. Graphical