Iodine-doped carbon quantum dots modified Bi2MoO6 for enhanced photocatalytic nitrogen fixation

Photocatalytic nitrogen fixation is a promising route for sustainable ammonia synthesis, yet its efficiency is often hampered by rapid charge recombination and insufficient N 2 adsorption. Herein, we report the fabrication of iodine-doped carbon quantum dots (ICQDs) modified Bi 2 MoO 6 (BMO) nanosheets via a hydrothermal method to address these challenges. The incorporation of ICQDs significantly increases the specific surface area and form a more porous composite structure with BMO that is conducive to adsorption, thereby facilitating N 2 adsorption. Consequently, the optimized ICQDs-BMO composite exhibits a remarkable ammonia production rate of 124.67 μmol g −1  h −1 , approximately 2.4-fold higher than that of pristine BMO. This substantial enhancement is attributed to the synergistic effects of improved charge separation and transfer efficiency, extended visible-light absorption, and increased oxygen vacancies induced by ICQDs. This work provides a viable strategy for designing high-performance photocatalysts by integrating iodine-doped carbon nanomaterials with semiconductors for efficient solar-to-ammonia conversion.