Modulating band structure through introducing Cu0/CuxO composites for the improved visible light driven ammonia synthesis

The photocatalytic performance of ceria-based materials can be tuned by adjusting the surface structures with decorating the transition-metal, which are considered as the important active sites. Herein, cuprous oxide-metallic copper composite - doped ceria nanorods were assembled through a simple hydrothermal reduction method. The photocatalytic ammonia synthesis rates exhibit an inverted “V-shaped” trend with increasing Cu 0 /Cu x O mole ratio. The best ammonia production rate, approximately 900 or 521 µmol·g cal −1 ·h −1 under full-spectra or visible light , can be achieved when the Cu 0 /Cu x O ratio is approximately 0.16, and this value is 8 times greater than that of the original sample. The absorption edge of the as-prepared samples shifted towards visible wavelengths, and they also had appropriate ammonia synthesis levels. This research provides a strategy for designing noble metal-free photocatalysts through introducing the metal/metallic oxide composites   to the catalysts.