Enhancement of N2 adsorption by Z-scheme porous g-C3N4/ZnFe2O4 composite material for high-efficient photocatalytic nitrogen fixation

An energy-efficient and environmentally friendly nitrogen fixation process is urgently needed to solve problems of high energy consumption and high emissions in the traditional ammonia industry. In this work, a Z-scheme porous g-C 3 N 4 /ZnFe 2 O 4 photocatalyst was synthesized, characterized and employed for N 2 photofixation. Temperature programmed desorption characterization confirmed that the adsorption capacity of nitrogen was improved for the porous structure. From N 2 photofixation evaluation experiments, the highest ammonia production efficiency can reach 147.33 μmol/L within 120 min. Photocatalytic performance is greatly improved because of the increasing of specific surface areas, enhancement of N 2 adsorption ability and synergistic effect of Z-scheme photocatalytic system. In the ammonia production process of the research, visible light is used as energy; N 2 and H 2 O are used as raw materials, which possesses a good application potential due to the advantages of being energy-efficient, environmentally friendly and pollution-free.