Promoting nitrogen photofixation for the synthesis of ammonia using oxygen-vacant Fe2O3/ZrO2 visible light photocatalyst with straddling heterojunction and enhanced charge transfer

Photocatalytic nitrogen (N2) fixation is a promising and environmentally friendly alternative approach to the energy-intensive Haber-Bosch process to produce green ammonia (NH3) with zero carbon emissions. However, the unique setbacks rest on developing an active photocatalyst with an accelerated charge transfer that could efficiently adsorb and activate the chemically inert N2 into useful NH3. Herein, an oxygen-vacant Fe2O3/ZrO2 photocatalyst with straddling heterojunction was successfully synthesised by the hydrothermal method followed by calcination at 450 °C. The addition of oxygen vacancy-inducing ferromagnetic material on ZrO2 increased the adsorption and activation of N2, broadened the solar absorption window (680 nm extending to 910 nm). It also accelerated light-induced charge separation of the photocatalyst thereby greatly enhancing the production of NH3 (1.301 mmol h−1 g−1) with about a 7-fold increase in comparison to ZrO2 at ambient conditions under sunlight irradiation. This work therefore sheds light on the effect of oxygen vacancies and the flow of charge carriers in the effective photofixation of N2 to NH3 synthesis through a sustainable route.