articleACS CatalysisSep 17, 2019Closed access

Defect Engineering in Photocatalytic Nitrogen Fixation

Chinese Academy of Sciences · Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry · +2 more institutions

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Abstract

Approximately 2% of the energy consumed by humans each year is used to make nitrogen-based fertilizers, with ammonia (NH3) production being the most significant contributor to this energy demand. Currently, NH3 is synthesized by the Haber–Bosch process, an energy-intensive synthesis requiring both high temperatures (400–500 °C) and pressures (150–250 atm) to achieve meaningful rates of N2 conversion. As a means of reducing the energy input and carbon footprint of NH3 synthesis, researchers are now seeking more environmentally friendly approaches for N2 fixation. Photocatalytic NH3 synthesis, using sunlight and a semiconductor photocatalyst, represents one of the more promising strategies for reducing N2 to NH3…

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