Radical-driven cooperative photocatalytic coupling of glucose oxidation and H₂O₂production using Ni-doped Bi₂WO₆/CN heterojunction

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) photosynthesis coupled with biomass upgrading is a promising alternative to traditional oxidative routes, yet its efficiency is fundamentally constrained by slow water oxidation kinetics and reliance on sacrificial agents. Herein, a Ni-doped Bi₂WO₆/graphitic carbon nitride (Ni-BWO/CN) heterojunction is developed to investigate the coupling of H₂O₂ photosynthesis and glucose oxidation, with an H₂O₂ production rate of 2.275 mM h^-1 (2.5 times higher than BWO), alongside a glucose conversion rate of 27 % and 82 % selectivity toward arabinose. The enhanced performance is attributed to the Ni doping in the BWO lattice, which modulates the electronic structure and suppresses charge recombination. In situ FT-IR spectra reveal a superoxide-mediated two-electron reduction pathway for H₂O₂ synthesis as well as glucose oxidation via ·O₂^--mediated and ·OH-driven intermediate mechanisms. This strategy advances the sustainable production of H₂O₂ and high-value chemicals through rational photocatalyst design.