Concurrent photocatalytic bicarbonate (aqueous-CO2) reduction and xylose reforming to produce compounds from C—C coupling.

[Display omitted] • Efficient acetate production from photo-reduction of HCO 3 − and xylose reforming. • HCO 3 − and xylose are converted into •CO 2 − radicals forC— C coupling into acetate. • H-radicals in aqueous systems facilitate HCO 3 − conversion to produce C 2+. • Photo-reduction to produce acetate reaches 20% efficiency under 420-nm irradiation. • Elucidated pathways for solar-driven conversion of CO 2 and biomass into chemicals. Using CO 2 (or aqueous-CO 2 , HCO 3 −) and biomass as feedstock to produce chemicals under solar irradiation represents a promising approach to achieving the net-zero emission goal. In this study, we employed a highly efficient •H-forming photocatalyst to convert HCO 3 −, demonstrating the occurrence of C C coupling to produce C 2 -species. Under simulated solar illumination, the photocatalytic system consistently reduces HCO 3 − into acetate through the coupling of •CO 2 − radicals. Additionally, in the photoreforming of xylose, acetate emerges as the predominant product, likely resulting from the coupling of •CO 2 − derived from the interaction of formate and •OH. Notably, a C 6 -compound is generated through C C coupling of radicals originating from HCO 3 − and xylose. Achieving an overall apparent quantum efficiency of 26% under 420-nm irradiation, our work underscores the feasibility of concurrently photocatalyzing the conversion of CO 2 and biomass into chemicals through C C coupling. This study not only highlights the significance of our approach in contributing to the net-zero emission goal but also emphasizes the novelty of achieving concurrent photocatalytic conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]