Furfuryl Alcohol Production with High Selectivity by a Novel Visible-Light Driven Biocatalysis Process

Abstract

Enzymatically upgrading furfural (FAL), the crude platform chemical derived from biomass, to the value-added furfuryl alcohol (FOL) has attracted considerable interest because of its high conversion and selectivity. However, the conventional biotransformation of FAL to FOL was limited by the difficulties in coenzyme regeneration. Herein, visible light-driven selective hydrogenation of FAL was realized on the basis of a coupled process that consisted of a photocatalyst and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). The QDs/g-C₃N₄ nanosheet was prepared in a “one-pot” process using graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) and carboxyl-modified quantum dots (QDs) (CdSe/ZnS). The as-prepared material exhibited synergetically intensified charge generation and transfer properties, implementing the regeneration of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH). As expected, the QDs/g-C₃N₄ exhibits an equilibrium NADH yield of 95.7%, which was two times higher than that using g-C₃N₄. The reusability of the QDs/g-C₃N₄ was also acceptable. After nine batches of operation, the conversion rate of NADH was still above 70%. Adopting the nanosheet in the selective hydrogenation by the photobiocatalytic process could reach excellent FOL yield (0.6 mM) and selectivity (∼100%).