Progress and challenges in photocatalytic ammonia synthesis

Qing Han,Junwang Tang,Haimiao Jiao,Lunqiao Xiong

doi:10.1039/d0ma00590h

Abstract

This review puts forward a few critical issues existing in nitrogen photoreduction apart from discussion of the efficient strategies for improvement of NH3 synthesis.

Highlights

By the revolutionary Haber–Bosch process, in which pure H2 and N2 are reacted under high pressure at high temperature over Fe-based catalysts, which consumes 1–2% of total global fossil fuels and releases around 300 million tons of planetwarming CO2 into the atmosphere annually.[4,5,6,7]
Review and costly electrodes used in electrochemical reduction of N2, photocatalytic ammonia synthesis using sustainable solar energy operated under either aqueous or gaseous conditions is rather different, maybe economical, from the other methods
As photocatalysis can be driven by abundant solar energy, it is a carbon-free process

Summary

Introduction

By the revolutionary Haber–Bosch process, in which pure H2 and N2 are reacted under high pressure at high temperature over Fe-based catalysts, which consumes 1–2% of total global fossil fuels and releases around 300 million tons of planetwarming CO2 into the atmosphere annually.[4,5,6,7] The development of environmentally friendly, sustainable strategies with high efficiency of NH3 production under mild conditions is highly desirable but challenging. Haimiao Jiao received his BEng and MSc in Chemical Engineering from Tianjin University and Imperial College London, respectively. Review and costly electrodes used in electrochemical reduction of N2, photocatalytic ammonia synthesis using sustainable solar energy operated under either aqueous or gaseous conditions is rather different, maybe economical, from the other methods. Through surface/interface engineering of various photocatalysts, the photocatalytic reaction pathways can be modulated, enhancing the N2 reduction reaction activity

Objectives

Findings

Conclusion