Cellulose‐Derived Carbon Dot‐Guided Growth of ZnIn2S4 Nanosheets for Photocatalytic Oxidation of 5‐Hydroxymethylfurfural into 2,5‐Diformylfuran

Abstract Cellulose‐derived carbon (CC) dot‐directed growth of ZnIn 2 S 4 was achieved through hydrothermal treatment of carboxylated cellulose followed by in situ growth of ZnIn 2 S 4 nanosheets. The carbon dots inherited from carboxylated cellulose equip plenty of surface carboxyl groups, which induce the ionic interaction with Zn 2+ and In 3+ and the guided growth of ZnIn 2 S 4 . As a result, the nanosheets of ZnIn 2 S 4 are evenly and intimately grown on the small carbon dots, providing high‐speed channels for charges transfer. In conjunction with the reinforced visible‐light capture and good conductivity of carbon dots, the resultant CC/ZnIn 2 S 4 shows an outstanding photocatalytic activity. As a proof‐of‐concept, visible‐light‐driven 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural oxidation into 2,5‐diformylfuran was conducted. The evolution of 2,5‐diformylfuran over the optimal CC/ZnIn 2 S 4 sample can reach ∼2980 μmol g −1 , about 3.4 times that of pristine ZnIn 2 S 4 . Additionally, the apparent quantum yield could attain 3.4 % at a wavelength of 400 nm.