Nano Ag/AgBr/g-C3N4 catalyzed the production of hydrogen and reduction of d-glucose to sorbitol under visible light irradiation

Abstract

In this study, the polymeric graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) was modified by anchoring Ag/AgBr to improve its charge separation efficiency. When compared to g-C₃N₄ nanosheets and Ag/AgBr nanoparticles (NPs), the photo-responsive Ag/AgBr/g-C₃N₄ nanocomposites (NCs) demonstrated superior catalytic activity for the production of hydrogen. According to estimates, the NCs generated hydrogen at rates that were 3.05 and 15.88 times faster than those of the NPs and g-C₃N₄, respectively. Through a catalytic hydrogen transfer (CHT) approach using aqueous ethanol (EtOH : H₂O, 1 : 1) as a solvent and at room temperature, under visible light irradiation, and under atmospheric pressure without the addition of molecular hydrogen gas, a novel method for the reduction of D-glucose to D-sorbitol using the Ag/Ag/Br/g-C₃N₄ photonanocatalyst was investigated. The highly selective conversion of glucose into sorbitol (89%) was achieved by using 100 ppm of the catalyst in the presence of 10% NaHSO₃ (NaHSO₃ : catalyst, 1 : 10, w/w) after 8 hours of visible light irradiation. The evaluation of the recycling of the catalyst has produced evidence that the catalyst's activity persisted after the fourth usage. In comparison to the previously researched methods in this field, this protocol is primarily seen as a green approach to the high-yielding manufacture of sorbitol under mild conditions.