In Situ Construction of Porous β-Bi2O3/BiOCOOH Heterojunction Photocatalysts: Enhancing Nitrogen Fixation Activity by the Synergistic Effect of Oxygen Vacancies and Lattice Oxygen

Photocatalytic nitrogen fixation is considered as a multielectron reaction and a complex kinetic process, building high-performance nitrogen fixation photocatalysts to solve the activation of N-2 and inhibit the recombination of photogenerated holes and electrons under the visible light condition. Herein, porous beta-Bi2O3/BiOCOOH heterojunction photocatalysts with oxygen vacancies were prepared via BiOCOOH as a sacrificial precursor by the calcination method. The as-obtained beta-Bi2O3/BiOCOOH catalyst with oxygen vacancies exhibited a high catalytic activity of about 65.56 mu mol.g(-1).h(-)(1) for N-2 fixation via deionized water as a solvent and methanol as a sacrificial agent. Both experimental and theoretical research indicated that the activity of beta-Bi2O3/BiOCOOH heterojunction catalysts originated from the oxygen vacancies and lattice oxygen species. Compared to the single-component BiOCOOH structure, the porous beta-Bi2O3/BiOCOOH heterojunction catalysts have achieved the absorption visible light range and have promoted the separation efficiency of charge carrier pairs by accommodating photogenerated electrons. Our findings afford a chance to improve a promising catalyst for photocatalytic nitrogen fixation.

Automated summary

This study successfully addresses the activation of N-2 and the recombination of photogenerated holes and electrons by preparing porous beta-Bi2O3/BiOCOOH heterojunction photocatalysts with oxygen vacancies. The catalyst exhibits high catalytic activity for nitrogen fixation under visible light conditions. The absorption of visible light and the improved separation efficiency of charge carrier pairs contribute to the enhanced performance of this catalyst for photocatalytic nitrogen fixation.