Photocatalytic Nitrogen Fixation Coupled with the Generation of Value-Added Chemicals from N2 and Cellulose over MoO3 Nanosheets

Photocatalytic nitrogen fixation from N-2 provides an alternative strategy for ammonia (NH3) production, but it was limited by the consumption of a sacrificial electron donor for the currently reported half-reaction system. Here, we use naturally abundant and renewable cellulose as the sacrificial reagent for photocatalytic nitrogen fixation over oxygen-vacancy-modified MoO3 nanosheets as the photocatalyst. In this smartly designed photocatalytic system, the photooxidation of cellulose not only generates value-added chemicals but also provides electrons for the N-2 reduction reaction and results in the production of NH3 with a maximum rate of 68 mu mol<middle dot>h(-1)<middle dot>g(-1). Also, the oxygen vacancies provide efficient active sites for both cellulose oxygenolysis and nitrogen fixation reactions. This work represents useful inspiration for realizing nitrogen fixation coupled with the generation of value-added chemicals from N-2 and cellulose through a photocatalysis strategy.