Making H(2) from Light and Biomass over Ni/Mo(2)C Catalysts under Mild Conditions.

Photothermal reforming of biomass to H has emerged as a promising strategy for biomass utilization but remains an enormous challenge to construct an efficient conversion system under mild conductions. Here, Ni-coated MoC microsphere (Ni/MoC) composites with an electron-depletion Ni (Ni) region and an electron-accumulation MoC (MoC) region were developed as efficient catalysts for photothermal reforming of biomass to H in neutral aqueous solution. In Ni/MoC catalysts, the Ni region acted as efficient Lewis acidic sites to be used as active sites for biomass oxidation, while MoC can be used as active sites for the H generation reaction, which enhances the photothermal catalytic activity of Ni/MoC catalysts for biomass-to-H conversion. As a result, common plant biomass was successfully converted to H by Ni/MoC catalysts in neutral aqueous solution with the maximum H evolution rate of 117 μmol g h in the wheat straw system under 300 W Xe lamp irradiation.