Efficient photocatalytic nitrogen fixation from air under sunlight via iron-doped WO3

Photocatalytic nitrogen fixation from air directly under sunlight can contribute significantly to carbon neutralization. It is an ideal pathway to replace the industrial Haber Bosch process in future. A Fe-doped layered WO3 photocatalyst containing oxygen vacancies was developed which can fix nitrogen from air directly under sunlight at atmospheric pressure. The iron doping enhances the transport efficiency of photogenerated electrons. The photocatalytic efficiency is around 4 times higher than that of pure WO3. The optium nitrogen fixation conditions were examined by orthogonal experiments and its nitrogen fixation performance could reach up to 477 μg·gcat−1·h−1 under sunlight. In addition, the process of nitrogen fixation was detected by situ infrared, which confirmed the reliability of nitrogen fixation. Also, modeling on the interactions between light and the photocatalyst was carried out to study the distribution of surface charge and validate the light absorption of the photocatalyst. This work provides a simple and cheap strategy for photocatalytic nitrogen fixation from air under mild conditions. [Display omitted] •An iron-doped WO3 realizes efficient nitrogen fixation under sunlight-driven and atmospheric pressure.•High-temperature calcination makes the surface of 0.25Fe-WO3 contain a large number of oxygen vacancies.•The incorporation of iron improves the electron transport and utilization of 0.25Fe-WO3.•The nitrogen fixation performance of 0.25Fe-WO3 was increased by 4 times, reaching 477μg·gcat-1·h-1.•The light absorption properties and efficient separation of electrons and holes were determined by simulation calculations.