Engineering Au-Pt atomic alloy cocatalysts for enhanced H2 production from photo-reforming of lignocellulosic biomass wastes

[Display omitted] •Au-Pt atomic alloys were loaded onto g-C3N4 (CN) through one-pot photo-deposition.•Au-Pt/CN outperformed Au/CN and Pt/CN in photo-reforming of cellulose.•The Au-Pt synergy improved the charge separation and promoted the H* adsorption.•The synergy can be extended to a range of semiconductors and bimetals.•Au-Pt/CN has been applied to a variety of lignocellulosic biomass wastes. Harnessing solar energy to convert natural lignocellulosic biomass waste and water into clean fuel H2 at ambient conditions holds significant promise for sustainability. However, the efficiency of photocatalytic H2 production faces challenges due to inefficient charge separation, inadequate H2 evolution, and sluggish biomass oxidation process. Herein, we designed Au-Pt atomic alloy cocatalysts on g-C3N4 by decorating the surface of Au nanocrystals with minimal Pt atoms/clusters. The obtained bimetallic cocatalysts possess specific geometric and electronic configurations that play a pivotal role in expediting the separation of electron-hole pairs, spatially segregating the oxidation and reduction processes, and optimizing the H* adsorption strength. The optimal Au-Pt/g-C3N4 sample exhibited a H2 production rate of 1061.8 µmol/g/h, surpassing Pt/g-C3N4 by 6.8 times and Au/g-C3N4 by 14 times. Our research provides a straightforward, eco-friendly, and cost-effective method for converting biomass into H2, offering a promising avenue for sustainable energy production.