High-entropy oxide photocatalysts for green ammonia synthesis from nitrogen fixation in water

TL;DR

This paper introduces high-entropy oxides as innovative photocatalysts for sustainable ammonia synthesis from nitrogen and water, demonstrating enhanced efficiency over traditional catalysts through mixed cationic configurations and d10 element incorporation.

Contribution

It presents a new class of high-entropy oxide photocatalysts with improved performance for nitrogen fixation, highlighting the role of mixed cationic configurations and d10 elements in boosting efficiency.

Findings

High-entropy oxides outperform binary oxides in ammonia production.

Mixed cationic configurations enhance photocatalytic efficiency.

Incorporation of d10 elements improves light absorption and charge dynamics.

Abstract

Ammonia, a critical chemical fertilizer and a potential hydrogen carrier, can be sustainably synthesized from atmospheric nitrogen and water under ambient conditions through photocatalysis. In this study, high-entropy oxides with d0 and mixed d0+d10 cationic configurations are introduced as a new group of catalysts for nitrogen fixation and photocatalytic ammonia production. The oxides exhibit impressive efficiency in ammonia production compared to binary oxides, while the efficiency is improved by using a mixed cationic configuration. It was shown that the incorporation of d10 elements, such as gallium and zinc, boosts the photocatalytic reactions by improving light absorbance, charge separation and charge lifetime. These findings demonstrate the potential of high-entropy oxides as next-generation photocatalysts for green ammonia synthesis, offering an effective alternative to conventional catalytic systems.