Pei Qijun, Wang Yongyu, Tan Khai Chen, Guo Jianping, He Teng, Chen Ping
Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences Dalian 116023 China.
Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy, of Sciences Beijing 100049 China.
Chem Sci. 2025 Apr 24;16(21):9076-9091. doi: 10.1039/d5sc01834j. eCollection 2025 May 28.
Ammonia, as a carbon-free fuel and promising hydrogen carrier, has attracted significant attention in the context of a net-zero-emission scenario. Photocatalytic ammonia decomposition is a promising approach for hydrogen production, and much attention has been given to this area in recent years. This mini-review summarizes the latest research progress in photocatalytic ammonia decomposition for hydrogen production. We mainly focus on the photocatalytic decomposition of aqueous ammonia solution and gaseous ammonia. For aqueous ammonia solution, various semiconductor-based catalysts are introduced, and the role of water is discussed. The formation of the ˙NH radical as a key species in the decomposition was proposed by different groups. In the case of gaseous ammonia, different types of catalysts, including semiconductor-based and localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR)-based ones, are described. The mechanisms of ammonia decomposition, such as N-N recombination and NH dehydrogenation, are discussed. Methods for accurate temperature measurement in the photocatalytic process are summarized. We conclude that photocatalytic ammonia decomposition has unique advantages, including high activity, mild conditions, a green process, and fast response. Moreover, an excellent catalyst, efficient utilization of light, and suitable reactor design are critically important for the practical application of photocatalytic ammonia decomposition.
氨作为一种无碳燃料和有前景的氢载体,在净零排放情景下受到了广泛关注。光催化氨分解是一种很有前景的制氢方法,近年来该领域受到了诸多关注。本综述总结了光催化氨分解制氢的最新研究进展。我们主要关注氨水溶液和气态氨的光催化分解。对于氨水溶液,介绍了各种基于半导体的催化剂,并讨论了水的作用。不同研究团队提出了˙NH自由基作为分解过程中的关键物种的形成。对于气态氨,描述了不同类型的催化剂,包括基于半导体的和基于局域表面等离子体共振(LSPR)的催化剂。讨论了氨分解的机制,如N-N重组和NH脱氢。总结了光催化过程中精确温度测量的方法。我们得出结论,光催化氨分解具有独特的优势,包括高活性、温和条件、绿色工艺和快速响应。此外,优良的催化剂、光的高效利用和合适的反应器设计对于光催化氨分解的实际应用至关重要。