Reinforced BiOBr for visible-light-driven nitrogen fixation: A synergistic effect of cocatalyst and oxygen vacancies

• Published in: Separation and purification technology 2025-02, Vol.354, p.128882, Article 128882
• Main Authors: Liu, Jianxing, Li, Zhe, Nie, Lin, Xue, Xiangxin, Liu, Mao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: BiOBr; Nitrogen fixation; Oxygen vacancies; Photocatalysis; Schottky junctions
• ISSN: 1383-5866
• DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2024.128882

[Display omitted] •A simple one-step solvothermal strategy was used to prepare the hierarchical Bi-decorated BiOBr microspheres with abundant OVs.•The Bi and OVs improve carriers’ separation efficiency and provided active centers.•The Bi-decorated BiOBr-OVs shows effective and stable photocatalytic N2 fixation property. Photocatalytic nitrogen fixation is a promising long-term strategy for NH3 synthesis, with the development of effective and durable photocatalysts being crucial for achieving high-efficiency N2 to NH3 conversion. In this study, we employed vacancy and interface engineering to create bismuth (Bi) nanoparticles on hierarchical oxygen-deficient BiOBr microspheres using a one-step solvothermal approach. These Bi-decorated BiOBr microspheres, featuring oxygen vacancies, achieved a high photocatalytic ammonia synthesis rate of 222.3 μmol·g−1·h−1 in pure water under visible light irradiation, which is 3.25 times higher than that of the original BiOBr. Atomic-scale images of the interface between the defective regions of BiOBr and the Bi cocatalyst and several other material characterizations confirmed that the enhanced photoreduction activity of Bi/BiOBr is due to the synergistic effects of the metal Bi and the oxygen vacancies. These results present a straightforward and practical method for designing efficient photocatalysts for nitrogen fixation.