Synergistic effects of Fe/Br co-doped bismuth molybdate for enhanced photocatalytic nitrogen fixation

Photocatalytic nitrogen fixation presents a promising alternative to the traditional Haber-Bosch process. In this study, Fe/Br co-doped bismuth molybdate (Fe/Br-BMO) was synthesized for the photocatalytic production of ammonia, achieving a production rate of 156.7 µmol g −1 h −1 . Characterization of the catalyst reveals that Fe/Br co-doping not only modifies the energy band structure and electronic properties of the catalyst but also expands the light absorption spectrum, inhibits the rapid recombination of photogenerated charge carriers, and increases both the specific surface area and the number of oxygen vacancies within the catalyst, which promote N 2 adsorption and activation and a significant reduction in the free energy of the rate-limiting step. These improvements effectively facilitate the adsorption and activation of N 2 molecules, lower the Gibbs free energy associated with the rate-limiting step, and ultimately enhance the photocatalytic activity