Synergistic Contact‐Electro‐Catalysis and Photocatalysis via TiO <sub>2</sub> @PTFE Composites for Efficient N <sub>2</sub> to NH <sub>3</sub> Conversion
Catalytic nitrogen fixation from N<sub>2</sub> and water under mild conditions offers a sustainable NH<sub>3</sub> synthesis route. Herein, we report a synergistic nitrogen fixation strategy combining contact-electro-catalysis (CEC) with photocatalysis via one-step in situ hydrothermally synthesized TiO<sub>2</sub> @PTFE catalyst, and achieved an activity of 133.6 µmol g<sup>-1</sup> h<sup>-1</sup>. It represents 10.9-fold and 7.5-fold enhancements over pristine TiO<sub>2</sub> and PTFE, respectively, outperforming current CEC systems and many photocatalytic systems operating without sacrificial agents. Further characterization and theoretical calculations reveal the synergy: the composite catalyst enhances the CEC catalyst dispersion; the CEC-generated electric fields promote photogenerated charge separation and elevate the semiconductor's Fermi level, bolstering photocatalytic N<sub>2</sub> reduction; conversely, the semiconductor boosts CEC efficiency via enhanced N<sub>2</sub> adsorption and supplemental electron donation. We anticipate that this work establishes a "two birds with one stone" strategy, providing novel insights into CEC-photocatalysis synergy and a pathway for rational design of high-performance nitrogen fixation catalysts.
Authors
- Kaiyang Shi
- Wei Yieng Tang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9901-4933)
- Huan Meng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8844-3938)
- Shuai Ma (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6355-7055)
- Jiajin Liu
Institutions
- Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems (CN)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Angewandte Chemie International Edition
- Published
- 2025-09-25
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202515707
- Citations
- 5
- Primary Topic
- Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.94