Application of thermally exfoliated g-C3N4 for a green selective photocatalytic oxidation of 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural

Graphitic carbon nitride assisted partial photocatalytic oxidation of 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural (HMF) in aqueous medium was investigated. Different carbon nitride precursors were considered, being melamine the one yielding the most efficient photocatalyst. The obtained 30% selectivity of HMF oxidation towards 2,5-furandicarboxaldehyde (FDC) is higher than those reported up to now. A further thermal exfoliation of the g-C3N4 samples showed under artificial light irradiation both an enhanced photocatalytic activity in conversion of HMF, and selectivity (ca. 42-45 %) towards FDC. The performance of the catalysts increased when the experiments were carried out under real outdoor illumination, reaching 50 % of selectivity versus FDC formation at 40 % of HMF conversion. The utilization of radical scavengers revealed that O2∙- was the main reactive species responsible for HMF oxidation to FDC. The photocatalytic test carried out under natural solar irradiation resulted in higher yields of FDC compared to that observed in the laboratory UV irradiated set-up, thus demonstrating the applicability of the exfoliated carbon nitride material in real-life conditions.