Progress of Metal Oxide (Sulfide)-Based Photocatalytic Materials for Reducing Nitrogen to Ammonia

Abstract

The Haber–Bosch process has been an important approach to produce ammonia for meeting the food need of increasing population and the worldwide need of nitrogenous fertilizers since 1913. However, the traditional ammonia production process is a high energy-consumption process, which usually produces 1 metric ton ammonia with releasing around 1.9 metric tons CO2. Photocatalytic ammonia synthesis under solar light as energy source, an attractive and promising alternative approach, is a very challenging target of reducing fossil energy consumption and environmental pollution. Therefore, photocatalytic ammonia production process would emerge huge opportunities by directly providing nitrogenous fertilizers in a distributed manner as needed in the agricultural fields. In this article, different metal oxide (sulfide)-based photocatalytic materials for reducing nitrogen to ammonia under ambient conditions are reviewed. This review provides insights into the most recent advancements in understanding the photocatalyst materials which are of fundamental significance to photocatalytic nitrogen reduction, including the state-of-the-art, challenges, and prospects in this research field.