A Ce-UiO-66 Metal-Organic Framework-Based Graphene-Embedded Photocatalyst with Controllable Activation for Solar Ammonia Fertilizer Production

Sixiao Liu; Zhenyuan Teng; Hang Liu; Tianyi Wang; Guoxiu Wang; Qiang Xu; Xiuyun Zhang; Min Jiang; Chengyin Wang; Wei Huang; Huan Pang

doi:10.1002/anie.202207026

A Ce-UiO-66 Metal-Organic Framework-Based Graphene-Embedded Photocatalyst with Controllable Activation for Solar Ammonia Fertilizer Production

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2022 Sep 12;61(37):e202207026. doi: 10.1002/anie.202207026. Epub 2022 Jul 25.

Authors

Sixiao Liu¹, Zhenyuan Teng², Hang Liu¹, Tianyi Wang¹, Guoxiu Wang³, Qiang Xu¹, Xiuyun Zhang⁴, Min Jiang⁵, Chengyin Wang¹, Wei Huang^{6

7}, Huan Pang¹

Affiliations

¹ College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225002, P. R. China.
² Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Kitakyushu, 804-8550, Japan.
³ School of Mathematical and Physical Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia.
⁴ College of Physical Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225002, P. R. China.
⁵ College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225002, P. R. China.
⁶ State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, P R. China.
⁷ Frontiers Science Center for Flexible Electronics (FSCFE), MIIT Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLoFE), Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, P. R. China.

PMID: 35791061
DOI: 10.1002/anie.202207026

Abstract

Currently, nitrogen fertilizers feed half of the global population, but their use is limited by energy consumption and transportation. Therefore, it is important to study photocatalysts for use in solar nitrogen fertilizers. Herein, a new type of graphene-embedded Ce-based UiO-66 (Ce-UiO-66) photocatalyst (GSCe) is investigated. Ce-UiO-66 is activated by the breakage of benzene-C bonds and the formation of active sites by ultraviolet light in water. Moreover, embedding graphene effectively controls activation and improves nitrogen fixation. GSCe exhibited a remarkable apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) of 9.25 % and stability under 365 nm light with solar-level intensity. GSCe also performed well as a solar ammonia fertilizer for crop cultivation. This investigation opens up opportunities for nitrogen fixation photocatalysts to be used as environmentally friendly solar nitrogen fertilizers.

Keywords: Ammonia; Graphene; Metal-Organic Frameworks; Photocatalysis; Sustainable Chemistry.