Preparation of Ni/Co composite materials based on Cucurbit[6]uril and their photothermal synergistic catalysis of nitrogen reduction to ammonia under mild conditions

-TPR). Our findings revealed that Ni@Q[6] exhibits higher photothermal catalytic ammonia synthesis activity compared to Co@Q[6]. This enhanced activity is attributed to the strong metal-support interaction (MSI) between Ni and Q[6], which facilitates electron transfer and nitrogen activation. Furthermore, the thermal source promotes the transition of electrons from the valence band to the conduction band, thereby enhancing the cleavage of the NN bond. Notably, the band gaps of Co@Q[6] and Ni@Q[6] are significantly reduced. In particular, Ni@Q[6] demonstrates the highest efficiency in electron-hole pair separation, as evidenced by photoluminescence (PL) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. Overall, Co/Ni@Q[6] provides an effective pathway for nitrogen reduction under mild conditions and advances the application of cucurbituril-based materials in photothermal catalysis. This work also contributes to the development of environmentally sustainable ammonia synthesis technology.