Chem
ArticleSelectivity Control in Photocatalytic Valorization of Biomass-Derived Platform Compounds by Surface Engineering of Titanium Oxide
The Bigger Picture
Photocatalysis has emerged as a useful approach to the sustainable production of value-added products from biomass, in which selectivity is the key issue because a number of transformations are possible when multifunctional biochemicals are the reactants. As one of the most popular photocatalysts, TiO2 has mainly been applied to reactions like pollutant degradation that concern more about activity than selectivity. The knowledge about selectivity-controlling principles for TiO2 is limited. Here, we report the first illustration of TiO2-based photocatalysis that succeeds in modulating product selectivity in bioplatform transformations. Fine chemicals or jet-fuel precursors have been produced in high yields by controlling the density of oxygen vacancies on TiO2, which governs surface adsorption and reaction and thus determines the product selectivity. This work offers useful insights into the design of selective photocatalysts for biomass valorization by surface engineering.