Chemisorption-enhanced photocatalytic nitrogen fixation via 2D ultrathin p–n heterojunction AgCl/δ-Bi2O3 nanosheets

Two-dimensional AgCl/δ-Bi2O3 nanosheets with a uniform thickness of approximately 2.7 nm were fabricated via an economical hydrothermal controllable precipitation approach. The 2D ultrathin features were confirmed by SEM, TEM, and AFM. The as-prepared 3% AgCl/δ-Bi2O3 exhibited an excellent photocatalytic nitrogen fixation rate of 606 µmol h−1 g−1 without any sacrificial agent under 3 h of visible light irradiation. The 2D nanosheets could chemically adsorb and activate N2 because of the formation of oxygen vacancies. The ultrathin structure could assist ultrafast transfer of electron–hole pairs, which could be effectively suspended due to formation of a p–n heterojunction structure of AgCl/δ-Bi2O3, and provided abundant electrons for reduction of N2 in photocatalytic nitrogen fixation. The findings could provide insight into better design of efficient photocatalysts for photocatalytic nitrogen fixation.