Qi Ping, Gao Xiaoxu, Wang Jian, Liu Huimin, He Dehua, Zhang Qijian
School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Liaoning University of Technology Jinzhou 121001 P. R. China
Innovative Catalysis Program, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 P. R. China.
RSC Adv. 2022 Jan 14;12(3):1244-1257. doi: 10.1039/d1ra08002d. eCollection 2022 Jan 5.
Ammonia (NH) is an important feedstock in chemical industry. Nowadays NH is mainly produced the industrialized Haber-Bosch process, which requires substantial energy input, since it operates at high temperatures (400-650 °C) and high pressures (20-40 Mpa). From the energy conservation point of view, it is of great significance to explore an alternative avenue to synthesize NH, which is in line with the concept of sustainable development. Very recently, photocatalytic N fixation (PNF) has been discovered as a safe and green approach to synthesize NH, as it utilizes the inexhaustible solar energy and the abundant N in nature to synthesize NH under mild conditions. A highly efficient catalyst is the core of PNF. Up to now, extensive studies have been conducted to design efficient catalysts for PNF. Summarizing the catalysts reported for PNF and unraveling their reaction mechanisms could provide guidance for the design of better catalysts. In this review, we will illustrate the development of catalysts for PNF, including semiconductors, plasmonic metal-based catalysts, iron-based catalysts, ruthenium-based catalysts and several other catalysts, point out the remaining challenges and outline the future opportunities, with the aim to contribute to the development of PNF.
氨（NH₃）是化学工业中的一种重要原料。如今，NH₃主要通过工业化的哈伯-博施法生产，该方法需要大量的能量输入，因为它在高温（400-650℃）和高压（20-40兆帕）下运行。从节能的角度来看，探索合成NH₃的替代途径具有重要意义，这符合可持续发展的理念。最近，光催化固氮（PNF）已被发现是一种安全、绿色的合成NH₃的方法，因为它利用取之不尽的太阳能和自然界中丰富的氮在温和条件下合成NH₃。高效催化剂是PNF的核心。到目前为止，已经进行了广泛的研究来设计用于PNF的高效催化剂。总结报道的用于PNF的催化剂并揭示其反应机理可为设计更好的催化剂提供指导。在这篇综述中，我们将阐述用于PNF的催化剂的发展，包括半导体、基于等离激元金属的催化剂、铁基催化剂、钌基催化剂和其他几种催化剂，指出仍然存在的挑战并概述未来的机遇，旨在为PNF的发展做出贡献。
