AgFe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub>@g‑C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>@SO<sub>3</sub>H Nanocomposite: Efficient and Heterogeneous\nPhotocatalyst for the Production of 5‑Hydroxymethylfurfural\nas a Renew

The use of photocatalysis in conjunction with biomass\npresents\nan innovative and promising way to increase the sustainability of\nchemical processes. In this work, a g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>@AgFe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> heterojunction nanocomposite was prepared by\na facile sonication method and subsequently modified with sulfonic\nacid groups to form a new acidic photocatalyst with enhanced photocatalytic\nactivity. The structure, surface composition, morphology, and optical\nabsorption features of the prepared photocatalyst were studied using\nthe state-of-the-art characterization techniques. Visible-light-driven\nphotocatalytic dehydration of biomass-derived carbohydrates to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural\n(HMF), as a versatile platform compound, was employed to assess its\ncatalytic property. Compared with traditional homogeneous and heterogeneous\nacid catalysts, the prepared photocatalyst reveled superior or equal\ncatalytic activity in the production of HMF from fructose only at\na low temperature (90 °C, 91% yield). The photocatalyst was easily\nrecovered and remained active in recycle runs, approving its good\nstability. Furthermore, the developed protocol was found to be capable\nof converting other feedstocks, such as glucose, sucrose, and maltose\ninto HMF with respectable yields. Interestingly, this work represents\nthe first example of utilizing a g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>@AgFe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> nanocomposite as a photocatalyst.