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Altering Hydrogenation Pathways in Photocatalytic Nitrogen Fixation by Tuning Local Electronic Structure of Oxygen Vacancy with Dopant
Author(s) -
Bo Yanan,
Wang Haiyun,
Lin Yunxiang,
Yang Tian,
Ye Run,
Li Yu,
Hu Canyu,
Du Pengye,
Hu Yangguang,
Liu Zhi,
Long Ran,
Gao Chao,
Ye Bangjiao,
Song Li,
Wu Xiaojun,
Xiong Yujie
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.202104001
Subject(s) - dopant , photocatalysis , catalysis , materials science , nitrogen fixation , electronic structure , nitrogen , associative property , photochemistry , nanotechnology , doping , chemistry , combinatorial chemistry , computational chemistry , organic chemistry , optoelectronics , mathematics , pure mathematics
To avoid the energy‐consuming step of direct N≡N bond cleavage, photocatalytic N 2 fixation undergoing the associative pathways has been developed for mild‐condition operation. However, it is a fundamental yet challenging task to gain comprehensive understanding on how the associative pathways (i.e., alternating vs. distal) are influenced and altered by the fine structure of catalysts, which eventually holds the key to significantly promote the practical implementation. Herein, we introduce Fe dopants into TiO 2 nanofibers to stabilize oxygen vacancies and simultaneously tune their local electronic structure. The combination of in situ characterizations with first‐principles simulations reveals that the modulation of local electronic structure by Fe dopants turns the hydrogenation of N 2 from associative alternating pathway to associative distal pathway. This work provides fresh hints for rationally controlling the reaction pathways toward efficient photocatalytic nitrogen fixation.