Symmetric bimetallic active sites Prussian blue catalysts for photo-reforming biomass to formic acid

Abstract

Photo-reforming biomass is a promising way to alleviate the energy crisis. In the research on Prussian blue analogs as photocatalysts, there are issues such as single catalytic active site, single carbon source reaction substrate, and insufficient substrate conversion. Here, the Prussian blue analogs with symmetric bimetallic active sites are designed, and the effect of the embedding of different metal sites on the reaction activity is explored. Embedding Ni metal in the Prussian blue skeleton resulted in an increased photo-response of the catalyst, an increased current density, and an enhanced catalytic efficiency of the active sites. In addition, the feasibility of photo-reforming fructose to formic acid is demonstrated, which, in combination with natural photosynthesis, explains the occurrence of decarboxylation at the C1 position of fructose to produce formic acid as well as the downstream products CO and CH₄. This work provides ideas for elucidating the photo-reforming of cellulose to high-value-added platform compounds.