Wavelength-Dependent Solar N₂ Fixation into Ammonia and Nitrate in Pure Water

Solar-driven N₂ fixation using a photocatalyst in water presents a promising alternative to the traditional Haber-Bosch process in terms of both energy efficiency and environmental concern. At present, the product of solar N₂ fixation is either NH₄ ⁺ or NO₃ ^-. Few reports described the simultaneous formation of ammonia (NH₄ ⁺) and nitrate (NO₃ ^-) by a photocatalytic reaction and the related mechanism. In this work, we report a strategy to photocatalytically fix nitrogen through simultaneous reduction and oxidation to produce NH₄ ⁺ and NO₃ ^- by W₁₈O₄₉ nanowires in pure water. The underlying mechanism of wavelength-dependent N₂ fixation in the presence of surface defects is proposed, with an emphasis on oxygen vacancies that not only facilitate the activation and dissociation of N₂ but also improve light absorption and the separation of the photoexcited carriers. Both NH₄ ⁺ and NO₃ ^- can be produced in pure water under a simulated solar light and even till the wavelength reaching 730 nm. The maximum quantum efficiency reaches 9% at 365 nm. Theoretical calculation reveals that disproportionation reaction of the N₂ molecule is more energetically favorable than either reduction or oxidation alone. It is worth noting that the molar fraction of NH₄ ⁺ in the total product (NH₄ ⁺ plus NO₃ ^-) shows an inverted volcano shape from 365 nm to 730 nm. The increased fraction of NO₃ ^- from 365 nm to around 427 nm results from the competition between the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at W sites without oxygen vacancies and the N₂ oxidation reaction (NOR) at oxygen vacancy sites, which is driven by the intrinsically delocalized photoexcited holes. From 427 nm to 730 nm, NOR is energetically restricted due to its higher equilibrium potential than that of OER, accompanied by the localized photoexcited holes on oxygen vacancies. Full disproportionation of N₂ is achieved within a range of wavelength from ~427 nm to ~515 nm. This work presents a rational strategy to efficiently utilize the photoexcited carriers and optimize the photocatalyst for practical nitrogen fixation.