Photothermal strategy toward highly efficient conversion of glucose into lactic acid at low-temperatures over hybrid multifunctional catalyst multi-walled carbon nanotubes/layered double hydroxides

Converting carbohydrates into lactic acid has attracted increasing attention due to the wide applications of lactic acid. However, the current methods of thermochemical conversion are commonly suffering from limited selectivity or harsh conditions. Herein, a light-driven system of highly selective conversion of glucose into lactic acid at low temperatures was developed. By constructing a hybrid multifunctional catalyst multi-walled carbon nanotubes/layered double hydroxides composites (CNT/LDHs), the highest lactic acid yield of 88.6 % with 90.0 % selectivity was achieved. The outperformance of CNT/LDHs for lactic acid production from glucose is attributed to the following factors: (i) CNT generate strong heating center under irradiation, providing heat for converting glucose into lactic acid; (ii) LDHs catalyze glucose isomerization, in which the photoinduced OVs (Lewis acid) in LDHs under irradiation further improve the catalytic activity; (iii) In heterogeneous-homogeneous synergistically catalytic system (LDHs-OH-), OH- ions are concentrated in LDHs, forming strong base sites to catalyze subsequent cascade reactions.