101
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Zhao Y, Zhao Y, Waterhouse GIN, Zheng L, Cao X, Teng F, Wu LZ, Tung CH, O'Hare D, Zhang T. Layered-Double-Hydroxide Nanosheets as Efficient Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalysts for Dinitrogen Fixation. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2017; 29:1703828. [PMID: 28960530 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201703828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 234] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Revised: 08/02/2017] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Semiconductor photocatalysis attracts widespread interest in water splitting, CO2 reduction, and N2 fixation. N2 reduction to NH3 is essential to the chemical industry and to the Earth's nitrogen cycle. Industrially, NH3 is synthesized by the Haber-Bosch process under extreme conditions (400-500 °C, 200-250 bar), stimulating research into the development of sustainable technologies for NH3 production. Herein, this study demonstrates that ultrathin layered-double-hydroxide (LDH) photocatalysts, in particular CuCr-LDH nanosheets, possess remarkable photocatalytic activity for the photoreduction of N2 to NH3 in water at 25 °C under visible-light irradiation. The excellent activity can be attributed to the severely distorted structure and compressive strain in the LDH nanosheets, which significantly enhances N2 chemisorption and thereby promotes NH3 formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufei Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Yunxuan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 100084, P. R. China
| | | | - Lirong Zheng
- Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Xingzong Cao
- Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Fei Teng
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 100084, P. R. China
| | - Li-Zhu Wu
- Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Chen-Ho Tung
- Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Dermot O'Hare
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Tierui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
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102
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Tanabe Y, Arashiba K, Nakajima K, Nishibayashi Y. Catalytic Conversion of Dinitrogen into Ammonia under Ambient Reaction Conditions by Using Proton Source from Water. Chem Asian J 2017; 12:2544-2548. [PMID: 28815926 DOI: 10.1002/asia.201701067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Molybdenum-catalyzed conversion of molecular dinitrogen into ammonia under ambient reaction conditions has been achieved by using a proton source generated in situ from the ruthenium-catalyzed oxidation of water in combination with visible light and a photosensitizer. The preset reaction system is considered as a new model for the nitrogen fixation by photosynthetic bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiaki Tanabe
- Department of Systems Innovation, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan
| | - Kazuya Arashiba
- Department of Systems Innovation, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan
| | - Kazunari Nakajima
- Department of Systems Innovation, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan
| | - Yoshiaki Nishibayashi
- Department of Systems Innovation, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan
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103
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Wang S, Hai X, Ding X, Chang K, Xiang Y, Meng X, Yang Z, Chen H, Ye J. Light-Switchable Oxygen Vacancies in Ultrafine Bi 5 O 7 Br Nanotubes for Boosting Solar-Driven Nitrogen Fixation in Pure Water. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2017; 29:1701774. [PMID: 28614603 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201701774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 256] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Revised: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Solar-driven reduction of dinitrogen (N2 ) to ammonia (NH3 ) is severely hampered by the kinetically complex and energetically challenging multielectron reaction. Oxygen vacancies (OVs) with abundant localized electrons on the surface of bismuth oxybromide-based semiconductors are demonstrated to have the ability to capture and activate N2 , providing an alternative pathway to overcome such limitations. However, bismuth oxybromide materials are susceptible to photocorrosion, and the surface OVs are easily oxidized and therefore lose their activities. For realistic photocatalytic N2 fixation, fabricating and enhancing the stability of sustainable OVs on semiconductors is indispensable. This study shows the first synthesis of self-assembled 5 nm diameter Bi5 O7 Br nanotubes with strong nanotube structure, suitable absorption edge, and many exposed surface sites, which are favorable for furnishing sufficient visible light-induced OVs to realize excellent and stable photoreduction of atmospheric N2 into NH3 in pure water. The NH3 generation rate is as high as 1.38 mmol h-1 g-1 , accompanied by an apparent quantum efficiency over 2.3% at 420 nm. The results presented herein provide new insights into rational design and engineering for the creation of highly active catalysts with light-switchable OVs toward efficient, stable, and sustainable visible light N2 fixation in mild conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengyao Wang
- College of Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, P. R. China
- International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0044, Japan
- Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, Ministry of Education, Wuhan, 430070, P. R. China
| | - Xiao Hai
- International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0044, Japan
- Graduate School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0814, Japan
| | - Xing Ding
- College of Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, P. R. China
| | - Kun Chang
- International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0044, Japan
| | - Yonggang Xiang
- College of Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, P. R. China
| | - Xianguang Meng
- International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0044, Japan
- Photo-Functional Materials Research Platform, College of Materials Science and Engineering, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, 063210, P. R. China
| | - Zixin Yang
- College of Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, P. R. China
| | - Hao Chen
- College of Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, Ministry of Education, Wuhan, 430070, P. R. China
| | - Jinhua Ye
- International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0044, Japan
- Graduate School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0814, Japan
- TU-NIMS International Collaboration Laboratory, School of Material Science and Engineering Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, P. R. China
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104
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Arachchige IU, Armatas GS, Biswas K, Subrahmanyam KS, Latturner S, Malliakas CD, Manos MJ, Oh Y, Polychronopoulou K, P Poudeu PF, Trikalitis PN, Zhang Q, Zhao LD, Peter SC. Mercouri G. Kanatzidis: Excellence and Innovations in Inorganic and Solid-State Chemistry. Inorg Chem 2017; 56:7582-7597. [PMID: 28654276 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.7b00933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Over the last 3-4 decades, solid-state chemistry has emerged as the forefront of materials design and development. The field has revolutionized into a multidisciplinary subject and matured with a scope of new synthetic strategies, new challenges, and opportunities. Understanding the structure is very crucial in the design of appropriate materials for desired applications. Professor Mercouri G. Kanatzidis has encountered both challenges and opportunities during the course of the discovery of many novel materials. Throughout his scientific career, Mercouri and his group discovered several inorganic compounds and pioneered structure-property relationships. We, a few Ph.D. and postdoctoral students, celebrate his 60th birthday by providing a Viewpoint summarizing his contributions to inorganic solid-state chemistry. The topics discussed here are of significant interest to various scientific communities ranging from condensed matter to green energy production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indika U Arachchige
- Department of Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond, Virginia 23284-2006, United States
| | - Gerasimos S Armatas
- Department of Materials Science and Technology, University of Crete, Vassilika Vouton , Heraklion 71003, Greece
| | - Kanishka Biswas
- New Chemistry Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) , Jakkur P.O., Bangalore 560064, India
| | - Kota S Subrahmanyam
- Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences , Jalahalli, Bangalore 560013, India
| | - Susan Latturner
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University , Tallahassee, Florida 32308, United States
| | - Christos D Malliakas
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University , 2145 North Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Manolis J Manos
- Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina , GR-45110 Ioannina, Greece
| | - Youngtak Oh
- Center for Environment, Health, and Welfare Research, Korea Institute of Science and Technology , Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-791, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyriaki Polychronopoulou
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Khalifa University of Science, Technology, and Research , 127788 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Pierre F P Poudeu
- Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Pantelis N Trikalitis
- Department of Chemistry, University of Crete , Voutes Campus, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Qichun Zhang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University , Singapore 639798, Singapore
| | - Li-Dong Zhao
- School of Material Science and Engineering, Beihang University , Beijing 10091, China
| | - Sebastian C Peter
- New Chemistry Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) , Jakkur P.O., Bangalore 560064, India
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105
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Liu C, Sakimoto KK, Colón BC, Silver PA, Nocera DG. Ambient nitrogen reduction cycle using a hybrid inorganic-biological system. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:6450-6455. [PMID: 28588143 PMCID: PMC5488957 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1706371114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
We demonstrate the synthesis of NH3 from N2 and H2O at ambient conditions in a single reactor by coupling hydrogen generation from catalytic water splitting to a H2-oxidizing bacterium Xanthobacter autotrophicus, which performs N2 and CO2 reduction to solid biomass. Living cells of X. autotrophicus may be directly applied as a biofertilizer to improve growth of radishes, a model crop plant, by up to ∼1,440% in terms of storage root mass. The NH3 generated from nitrogenase (N2ase) in X. autotrophicus can be diverted from biomass formation to an extracellular ammonia production with the addition of a glutamate synthetase inhibitor. The N2 reduction reaction proceeds at a low driving force with a turnover number of 9 × 109 cell-1 and turnover frequency of 1.9 × 104 s-1⋅cell-1 without the use of sacrificial chemical reagents or carbon feedstocks other than CO2 This approach can be powered by renewable electricity, enabling the sustainable and selective production of ammonia and biofertilizers in a distributed manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong Liu
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
- Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637371
| | - Kelsey K Sakimoto
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Brendan C Colón
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Pamela A Silver
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Daniel G Nocera
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138;
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106
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Korala L, Germain JR, Chen E, Pala IR, Li D, Brock SL. CdS Aerogels as Efficient Photocatalysts for Degradation of Organic Dyes under Visible Light Irradiation. Inorg Chem Front 2017; 4:1451-1457. [PMID: 29123669 DOI: 10.1039/c7qi00140a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Synthesis of efficient photocatalysts based on CdS nanomaterials for oxidative decomposition of organic effluents typically focuses on (a) enhancement of surface area of the catalysts and (b) promotion of the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. CdS aerogel, which are synthesized by simple sol-gel assembly of discrete nanocrystals (NCs) into a porous network followed by supercritical drying, could provide higher surface area for photocatalytic reactions along with facile charge separation due to direct contact between NCs via covalent bonding. We evaluated the efficiency of CdS aerogel materials for degradation of organic dyes using methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) as test cases. CdS aerogel materials exhibited remarkable photocatalytic activity for dye degradation compared to typical, ligand-capped CdS NCs. The catalytic efficiency of CdS aerogels was further improved by decreasing the chain-length and extent of surface organics, leading to higher, and more hydrophilic, accessible surface area. The use of porous, chalcogenide-based solid state architectures for photocatalysis enables easy separation of catalyst while ensuring a high-interfacial surface area for analyte reactivity and visible light activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lasantha Korala
- Department of Chemistry, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48202, USA
| | - Jason R Germain
- Department of Chemistry, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48202, USA
| | - Erica Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48202, USA
| | - Irina R Pala
- Department of Chemistry, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48202, USA
| | - Da Li
- Department of Chemistry, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48202, USA
| | - Stephanie L Brock
- Department of Chemistry, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48202, USA
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107
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108
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Medford AJ, Hatzell MC. Photon-Driven Nitrogen Fixation: Current Progress, Thermodynamic Considerations, and Future Outlook. ACS Catal 2017. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.7b00439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 333] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Medford
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Marta C. Hatzell
- George
W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
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109
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Rittle J, Peters JC. N-H Bond Dissociation Enthalpies and Facile H Atom Transfers for Early Intermediates of Fe-N 2 and Fe-CN Reductions. J Am Chem Soc 2017; 139:3161-3170. [PMID: 28140600 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.7b00014/suppl_file/oc7b00014_si_001.pdf] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Fe-mediated biological nitrogen fixation is thought to proceed via either a sequence of proton and electron transfer steps, concerted H atom transfer steps, or some combination thereof. Regardless of the specifics and whether the intimate mechanism for N2-to-NH3 conversion involves a distal pathway, an alternating pathway, or some hybrid of these limiting scenarios, Fe-NxHy intermediates are implicated that feature reactive N-H bonds. Thermodynamic knowledge of the N-H bond strengths of such species is scant, and is especially difficult to obtain for the most reactive early stage candidate intermediates (e.g., Fe-N═NH, Fe═N-NH2, Fe-NH═NH). Such knowledge is essential to considering various mechanistic hypotheses for biological (and synthetic) nitrogen fixation and to the rational design of improved synthetic N2 fixation catalysts. We recently reported several reactive complexes derived from the direct protonation of Fe-N2 and Fe-CN species at the terminal N atom (e.g., Fe═N-NH2, Fe-C≡NH, Fe≡C-NH2). These same Fe-N2 and Fe-CN systems are functionally active for N2-to-NH3 and CN-to-CH4/NH3 conversion, respectively, when subjected to protons and electrons, and hence provide an excellent opportunity for obtaining meaningful N-H bond strength data. We report here a combined synthetic, structural, and spectroscopic/analytic study to estimate the N-H bond strengths of several species of interest. We assess the reactivity profiles of species featuring reactive N-H bonds and estimate their homolytic N-H bond enthalpies (BDEN-H) via redox and acidity titrations. Very low N-H bond dissociation enthalpies, ranging from 65 (Fe-C≡NH) to ≤37 kcal/mol (Fe-N═NH), are determined. The collective data presented herein provide insight into the facile reactivity profiles of early stage protonated Fe-N2 and Fe-CN species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Rittle
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology (Caltech) , Pasadena, California 91125, United States
| | - Jonas C Peters
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology (Caltech) , Pasadena, California 91125, United States
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110
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Rittle J, Peters JC. N-H Bond Dissociation Enthalpies and Facile H Atom Transfers for Early Intermediates of Fe-N 2 and Fe-CN Reductions. J Am Chem Soc 2017; 139:3161-3170. [PMID: 28140600 PMCID: PMC5517100 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b12861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Fe-mediated biological nitrogen fixation is thought to proceed via either a sequence of proton and electron transfer steps, concerted H atom transfer steps, or some combination thereof. Regardless of the specifics and whether the intimate mechanism for N2-to-NH3 conversion involves a distal pathway, an alternating pathway, or some hybrid of these limiting scenarios, Fe-NxHy intermediates are implicated that feature reactive N-H bonds. Thermodynamic knowledge of the N-H bond strengths of such species is scant, and is especially difficult to obtain for the most reactive early stage candidate intermediates (e.g., Fe-N═NH, Fe═N-NH2, Fe-NH═NH). Such knowledge is essential to considering various mechanistic hypotheses for biological (and synthetic) nitrogen fixation and to the rational design of improved synthetic N2 fixation catalysts. We recently reported several reactive complexes derived from the direct protonation of Fe-N2 and Fe-CN species at the terminal N atom (e.g., Fe═N-NH2, Fe-C≡NH, Fe≡C-NH2). These same Fe-N2 and Fe-CN systems are functionally active for N2-to-NH3 and CN-to-CH4/NH3 conversion, respectively, when subjected to protons and electrons, and hence provide an excellent opportunity for obtaining meaningful N-H bond strength data. We report here a combined synthetic, structural, and spectroscopic/analytic study to estimate the N-H bond strengths of several species of interest. We assess the reactivity profiles of species featuring reactive N-H bonds and estimate their homolytic N-H bond enthalpies (BDEN-H) via redox and acidity titrations. Very low N-H bond dissociation enthalpies, ranging from 65 (Fe-C≡NH) to ≤37 kcal/mol (Fe-N═NH), are determined. The collective data presented herein provide insight into the facile reactivity profiles of early stage protonated Fe-N2 and Fe-CN species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Rittle
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology (Caltech) , Pasadena, California 91125, United States
| | - Jonas C Peters
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology (Caltech) , Pasadena, California 91125, United States
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111
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Liu J, He K, Wu W, Song TB, Kanatzidis MG. In Situ Synthesis of Highly Dispersed and Ultrafine Metal Nanoparticles from Chalcogels. J Am Chem Soc 2017; 139:2900-2903. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b13279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jian Liu
- Department
of Chemistry, ‡Argonne-Northwestern Solar Energy Research Center, §Department of Materials
Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Kai He
- Department
of Chemistry, ‡Argonne-Northwestern Solar Energy Research Center, §Department of Materials
Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Weiqiang Wu
- Department
of Chemistry, ‡Argonne-Northwestern Solar Energy Research Center, §Department of Materials
Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Tze-Bin Song
- Department
of Chemistry, ‡Argonne-Northwestern Solar Energy Research Center, §Department of Materials
Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Mercouri G. Kanatzidis
- Department
of Chemistry, ‡Argonne-Northwestern Solar Energy Research Center, §Department of Materials
Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
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112
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Li J, Li H, Zhan G, Zhang L. Solar Water Splitting and Nitrogen Fixation with Layered Bismuth Oxyhalides. Acc Chem Res 2017; 50:112-121. [PMID: 28009157 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.6b00523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 243] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Hydrogen and ammonia are the chemical molecules that are vital to Earth's energy, environmental, and biological processes. Hydrogen with renewable, carbon-free, and high combustion-enthalpy hallmarks lays the foundation of next-generation energy source, while ammonia furnishes the building blocks of fertilizers and proteins to sustain the lives of plants and organisms. Such merits fascinate worldwide scientists in developing viable strategies to produce hydrogen and ammonia. Currently, at the forefronts of hydrogen and ammonia syntheses are solar water splitting and nitrogen fixation, because they go beyond the high temperature and pressure requirements of methane stream reforming and Haber-Bosch reaction, respectively, as the commercialized hydrogen and ammonia production routes, and inherit the natural photosynthesis virtues that are green and sustainable and operate at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The key to propelling such photochemical reactions lies in searching photocatalysts that enable water splitting into hydrogen and nitrogen fixation to make ammonia efficiently. Although the past 40 years have witnessed significant breakthroughs using the most widely studied TiO2, SrTiO3, (Ga1-xZnx)(N1-xOx), CdS, and g-C3N4 for solar chemical synthesis, two crucial yet still unsolved issues challenge their further progress toward robust solar water splitting and nitrogen fixation, including the inefficient steering of electron transportation from the bulk to the surface and the difficulty of activating the N≡N triple bond of N2. This Account details our endeavors that leverage layered bismuth oxyhalides as photocatalysts for efficient solar water splitting and nitrogen fixation, with a focus on addressing the above two problems. We first demonstrate that the layered structures of bismuth oxyhalides can stimulate an internal electric field (IEF) that is capable of efficiently separating electrons and holes after their formation and of precisely channeling their migration from the bulk to the surface along the different directions, thus enabling more electrons to reach the surface for water splitting and nitrogen fixation. Simultaneously, their oxygen termination feature and the strain differences between interlayers and intralayers render the easy generation of surface oxygen vacancies (OVs) that afford Lewis-base and unsaturated-unsaturated sites for nitrogen activation. With these rationales as the guideline, we can obtain striking visible-light hydrogen- and ammonia-evolving rates without using any noble-metal cocatalysts. Then we show how to utilize IEF and OV based strategies to improve the solar water splitting and nitrogen fixation performances of bismuth oxyhalide photocatalysts. Finally, we highlight the challenges remaining in using bismuth oxyhalides for solar hydrogen and ammonia syntheses, and the prospect of further development of this research field. We believe that our mechanistic insights could serve as a blueprint for the design of more efficient solar water splitting and nitrogen fixation systems, and layered bismuth oxyhalides might open up new photocatalyst paradigm for such two solar chemical syntheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Li
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, Institute of Environmental & Applied Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Hao Li
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, Institute of Environmental & Applied Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Guangming Zhan
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, Institute of Environmental & Applied Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
| | - Lizhi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, Institute of Environmental & Applied Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China
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113
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Hao Y, Dong X, Zhai S, Ma H, Wang X, Zhang X. Hydrogenated Bismuth Molybdate Nanoframe for Efficient Sunlight-Driven Nitrogen Fixation from Air. Chemistry 2016; 22:18722-18728. [PMID: 27865005 DOI: 10.1002/chem.201604510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Sunlight-driven dinitrogen fixation can lead to a novel concept for the production of ammonia under mild conditions. However, the efficient artificial photosynthesis of ammonia from ordinary air (instead of high pure N2 ) has never been implemented. Here, we report for the first time the intrinsic catalytic activity of Bi2 MoO6 catalyst for direct ammonia synthesis under light irradiation. The edge-exposed coordinatively unsaturated Mo atoms in an Mo-O coordination polyhedron can act as activation centers to achieve the chemisorption, activation, and photoreduction of dinitrogen efficiently. Using that insight as a starting point, through rational structure and defect engineering, the optimized Bi2 MoO6 sunlight-driven nitrogen fixation system, which simultaneously possesses robust nitrogen activation ability, excellent light-harvesting performance, and efficient charge transmission was successfully constructed. As a surprising achievement, this photocatalytic system demonstrated for the first time ultra-efficient (1.3 mmol g-1 h-1 ) and stable sunlight-driven nitrogen fixation from air in the absence of any organic scavengers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchen Hao
- School of Light Industry and Chemical Engineering, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, 116034, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoli Dong
- School of Light Industry and Chemical Engineering, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, 116034, P. R. China
| | - Shangru Zhai
- School of Light Industry and Chemical Engineering, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, 116034, P. R. China
| | - Hongchao Ma
- School of Light Industry and Chemical Engineering, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, 116034, P. R. China
| | - Xiuying Wang
- School of Light Industry and Chemical Engineering, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, 116034, P. R. China
| | - Xiufang Zhang
- School of Light Industry and Chemical Engineering, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, 116034, P. R. China
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Čorić I, Holland PL. Insight into the Iron-Molybdenum Cofactor of Nitrogenase from Synthetic Iron Complexes with Sulfur, Carbon, and Hydride Ligands. J Am Chem Soc 2016; 138:7200-11. [PMID: 27171599 PMCID: PMC5508211 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b00747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Nitrogenase enzymes are used by microorganisms for converting atmospheric N2 to ammonia, which provides an essential source of N atoms for higher organisms. The active site of the molybdenum-dependent nitrogenase is the unique carbide-containing iron-sulfur cluster called the iron-molybdenum cofactor (FeMoco). On the FeMoco, N2 binding is suggested to occur at one or more iron atoms, but the structures of the catalytic intermediates are not clear. In order to establish the feasibility of different potential mechanistic steps during biological N2 reduction, chemists have prepared iron complexes that mimic various structural aspects of the iron sites in the FeMoco. This reductionist approach gives mechanistic insight, and also uncovers fundamental principles that could be used more broadly for small-molecule activation. Here, we discuss recent results and highlight directions for future research. In one direction, synthetic iron complexes have now been shown to bind N2, break the N-N triple bond, and produce ammonia catalytically. Carbon- and sulfur-based donors have been incorporated into the ligand spheres of Fe-N2 complexes to show how these atoms may influence the structure and reactivity of the FeMoco. Hydrides have been incorporated into synthetic systems, which can bind N2, reduce some nitrogenase substrates, and/or reductively eliminate H2 to generate reduced iron centers. Though some carbide-containing iron clusters are known, none yet have sulfide bridges or high-spin iron atoms like the FeMoco.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilija Čorić
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
| | - Patrick L. Holland
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
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