A novel Bi2S3/KTa0.75Nb0.25O3 nanocomposite with high efficiency for photocatalytic and piezocatalytic N2 fixation

Abstract

A novel Bi₂S₃/KTa_0.75Nb_0.25O₃ (KTN) heterojunction nanocomposite was prepared through a simple two-step hydrothermal method and primarily applied in photocatalytic and piezocatalytic N₂ fixation. Bi₂S₃ closely adhered to the surface of KTN nanorods and mainly acted as electron trappers to capture the photogenerated electrons in the composite, which promotes the spatial separation of photogenerated charge carriers greatly. Thus, Bi₂S₃/KTN exhibited good performance in photocatalytic N₂ reduction to NH₃. Besides the high photocatalytic performance in photocatalysis, Bi₂S₃/KTN also performed well in piezocatalytic N₂ fixation. The remarkable piezoelectric properties of KTN are a key factor. The added Bi₂S₃ can extend the lifetime of the negative charges generated by the piezoelectric effect, thereby improving the catalytic reaction performance. This work demonstrates the great potential of Bi₂S₃/KTN in photo/piezocatalytic N₂ fixation.