Carbon Dioxide Synergized Photo‐Reforming for Efficient Valorization of Bio‐Polyols With a Dynamic Carbon Balance
ABSTRACT Photocatalytic upgrading of biomass‐derived feedstocks into value‐added chemicals is promising for carbon neutrality but limited by low carbon utilization and CO 2 emissions from over‐oxidation. Herein, we establish a “self‐feeding” photocatalytic system coupling glycerol oxidation with concurrent CO 2 photoreduction to seamlessly close the carbon loop, enabling a truly dynamic and emission‐free biomass valorization strategy. This design uses defect‐engineered metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) with atomically anchored Cu sites to synergistically activate glycerol and O 2 and introduce CO 2 to steer the evolution of reactive oxygen species, thereby tempering hydroxyl radicals (•OH) for selective oxidative cleavage. Under illumination, CO 2 coordination with in situ formed Cu I sites facilitates CO 2 photoreduction and dictates chemo‐selective C–C scission via decarbonylation to avoid over‐oxidation. By kinetically matching CO 2 release with in situ reduction, the system channels liberated carbon exclusively into value‐added C 1 products, achieving both carbon yield and selectivity approaching ∼100%. Benchmark production rates reach 2875 µmol g −1 h −1 for CO and 1185 µmol g −1 h −1 for HCOOH (corresponding to ∼3.0 carbons per glycerol molecule), culminating in a strictly zero‐CO 2 ‐emission process. This work resolves the classic trade‐off between oxidation depth and carbon retention and reframes CO 2 as a functional reaction modulator, charting a viable paradigm for carbon‐neutral chemical synthesis.
Authors
- Xu Jing (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6877-3577)
- Mengrui Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5427-9324)
- Chunying Duan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1638-6633)
- Ruiming Jia
Institutions
- Dalian University of Technology (CN)
- Nanjing University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Functional Materials
- Published
- 2026-10-26
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.78880
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00