Issue 33, 2018

New opportunities for efficient N2 fixation by nanosheet photocatalysts

Abstract

Catalytic ammonia synthesis from dinitrogen (N2) under mild conditions has been considered to be the “holy grail” of N2 fixation, which is one of the most important chemical processes in the agriculture, biological and industrial fields. Given that current artificial N2 fixation is still dominated by the energy-intensive Haber–Bosch process, solar N2 fixation represents an encouraging and fascinating route for carbon-free and energy-saving N2 fixation. However, its practical application is seriously hampered by surface sluggish reaction kinetics. In this minireview, we share our perspectives on the use of two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets for the manipulation of photocatalytic N2 fixation. Nanosheet photocatalysts serve as the perfect platform for the engineering of surface active sites, including defects and iron, all of which can not only bolster photon–exciton interaction toward robust charge carriers generation upon light absorption, but also mimic the function schemes of MoFe-cofactor in nitrogenase toward sufficient N2 binding and activation. These merits endowed by nanosheets photocatalysts provide instructive information on exploring the rich nitrogen photochemistry on solid surfaces and offer new opportunities for the design of novel photocatalysts towards efficient N2 fixation.

Graphical abstract: New opportunities for efficient N2 fixation by nanosheet photocatalysts

Article information

Article type
Minireview
Submitted
27 5 2018
Accepted
26 7 2018
First published
27 7 2018

Nanoscale, 2018,10, 15429-15435

New opportunities for efficient N2 fixation by nanosheet photocatalysts

H. Li, C. Mao, H. Shang, Z. Yang, Z. Ai and L. Zhang, Nanoscale, 2018, 10, 15429 DOI: 10.1039/C8NR04277B

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements