High-efficiency Fe-Mediated Bi2MoO6 nitrogen-fixing photocatalyst: Reduced surface work function and ameliorated surface reaction.

A Fe-mediated Bi 2 MoO 6 photocatalyst was constructed through a facile solvethermal method. The Fe-doping can improved the charge collection through a Fe3+/Fe2+ redox pathway, which serves as surface center for facilitating charge carriers migration. Besides that, the Fe-doping induced surface work function increase would also boost the charge transport to the surface of catalyst. • The Fe-doping can reduce the surface work function of Bi2MoO6. The reduced surface function will promote the charge transport from bulk to surface. • The Fe-doping can act as surface active sites, which endows as-fabricated catalyst with charge collection ability to facilitate photogenerated electron-hole separation. • In sharp contrast with pristine Bi2MoO6, the Fe-mediated Bi2MoO6 exhibits 3.7 times higher photocatalytic activity for nitrogen fixation. Rapid carrier transport and efficient surface reactions are key factors for improving photocatalytic nitrogen fixation. Herein, an efficient Bi 2 MoO 6 nitrogen-fixing photocatalyst was obtained using Fe-mediation. The Fe-doping induced surface work function reduction would boost the charge transport to the surface of catalyst. Besides that, the Fe-doping can also improve the charge collection through a Fe3+/Fe2+ redox pathway, which serves as active sites for nitrogen reduction. Thanks to above merits, Fe-mediated Bi 2 MoO 6 exhibits dramatically enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity for nitrogen fixation, in sharp contrast with pristine Bi 2 MoO 6. This work provides a new approach to improve photocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction, which can pave the way for modification studies in nitrogen fixation photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]