Coproduction of hydrogen peroxide and formic acid as potential hydrogen-carrier through photocatalytic reformation of sacrificial chemical

This study explores the challenges to photo-reforming sacrificial chemicals into beneficial by-products while improving photocatalytic activity in H2O2 production by addressing several issues. The resorcinol-formaldehyde/ graphitic carbon nitride composite (RF(0.2)GCN) with nanosheet-like RF morphology achieved a higher degree of surface-to-surface contact through -C-NH-CH2- and -NH-CH-OH than the nanosphere (RF(0.8)GCN). The RF(0.2)GCN produced H2O2 at 325.2 mu g g(-1) s(-1) in the presence of oxalic acid (OA) at pH 2.1 with apparent quantum yield (AQY) of 12.7 %. The conduction band position potential was +0.54 V-NHE, which is thermodynamically unfavorable for H+/H-2 (E. : 0.00 V-NHE) and O-2/center dot O-2(-) (E. : -0.046 V-NHE) reaction and also inhibits the decomposition of H2O2 (H2O2/center dot OH, E degrees: +0.39 V-NHE). Furthermore, the decomposition of OA formed formic acid (FA) at 82 % selectivity and concurrent CO2 center dot(-) formation could promote electron density in the conduction band via its electron-donating ability center dot H2O2 was purified by isolating FA using anion exchange resin, and FA was recovered by desorption from the resin using HCl (pH 3).