Photocatalysis: Research and Potential, Volume 1, Issue 1 (March 2024) – 5 articles

The production of commodity chemicals and fuels from large renewable biomolecules like lignin is key to achieving sustainable economic growth. However, cleaving the stable chemical bonds these materials under moderate conditions remains significant challenge. This research introduces an in-situ formed Au/ZrO₂-Ni(OH)₂ photocatalyst that efficiently cleaves aryl ether C–O bonds at 40 °C under visible light. The mechanism involves the transfer of photoexcited electrons from Au nanoparticles to Ni(OH)₂, which creates active Ni⁰ sites capable of effectively cleaving aromatic ether C–O bonds. This study has the potential to inspire future designs of plasmonic photocatalysis utilizing metal oxides or hydroxides.