CuInSe₂ Quantum Dots Embedded in Bi₂WO₆ Nanosheets for Electrocatalytic Nitrogen Reduction

For hundreds of years, ammonia has been an important raw material for industrial production worldwide. At present, the electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) has become a very attractive and promising method for NH3 synthesis. But due to the high bond energy and strong dipole moment of the N≡N bond in nitrogen gas, it is extremely difficult to decompose. At normal temperature and pressure, the reaction kinetics of the NRR is still relatively slow. Herein, CuInSe2 quantum dots (CuInSe2-QDs) are highly dispersed on the surface of Bi2WO6 nanosheets to form p–n heterojunctions, which can effectively increase the reaction rate of NRR. As a result, CuInSe2 QDs-Bi2WO6 exhibit a high yield rate of 36.1 μg h–1 mgcat–1 and NH3 Faradaic efficiency of 9.3%, which is superior to the pristine Bi2WO6 (9.1 μg h–1 mgcat–1 5.1%) under neutral solution. CuInSe2 QDs-Bi2WO6 also shows good electrochemical stability. This work provides a promising solution for designing NRR catalysts and may also open up paths for the preparation of intrinsic heterostructures.