Tuning Dynamic Structural Evolution of Bi₂₄O₃₁Cl₁₀ for Enhancing Piezo-Photocatalytic Nitrogen Oxidation to Nitrate

Direct nitrogen oxidation into nitrate under ambient conditions presents a promising strategy for harsh and multistep industrial processes. However, the dynamic structural evolution of active sites in surface reactions constitutes a highly intricate endeavor and remains in its nascent stage. Here, we constructed a Bi₂₄O₃₁Cl₁₀ material with moiré superlattice structure (BCMS) for direct piezo-photocatalytic oxidation of nitrogen into nitrate. Excitingly, BCMS achieved excellent nitric acid production (15.44 mg g^-1 h^-1) under light and pressure conditions. Detailed experimental results show that the unique structure extracts the local strain tensor from the constricting Bi-Bi bond and Bi-O bond for internal structural reconstruction, which promotes the formation of electron and reactive molecule vortexes to facilitate charge transfer as well as N₂ and O₂ adsorption. Ultimately, these initiatives strengthen electron exchange between the superoxide radical and nitrogen as well as the binding strength of multiple intermediates, which swayingly adjusts the reaction path and energy barriers.