Construction of hierarchical In 2 O 3 /In 2 S 3 -ZnCdS ternary microsphere heterostructures for efficient photocatalytic nitrogen fixation.

Photocatalytic ammonia production holds immense promise as an environmentally sustainable approach to nitrogen fixation. In this study, In 2 O 3 /In 2 S 3 -ZnCdS ternary heterostructures were successfully constructed through an innovative in situ anion exchange process, coupled with a low-temperature hydrothermal method for ZnCdS (ZCS) incorporation. The resulting In 2 O 3 /In 2 S 3 -ZCS photocatalyst was proved to be highly efficient in converting N 2 to NH 3 under mild conditions, eliminating the need for sacrificial agents or precious metal catalysts. Notably, the NH 4 + yield of In 2 O 3 /In 2 S 3 -0.5ZCS reached a significant level of 71.2 μmol g -1 h -1 , which was 10.47 times higher than that of In 2 O 3 (6.8 μmol g -1 h -1 ) and 3.22 times higher than that of In 2 O 3 /In 2 S 3 (22.1 μmol g -1 h -1 ). This outstanding performance can be attributed to the ternary heterojunction configuration, which significantly extends the lifetime of photogenerated carriers and enhances the spatial separation of electrons and holes. The synergistic interplay between CdZnS, In 2 S 3 , and In 2 O 3 in the heterojunction facilitates electron transport, thereby boosting the rate of the photocatalytic nitrogen fixation reaction. Our study not only validates the efficacy of ternary heterojunctions in photocatalytic nitrogen fixation but also offers valuable insights for the design and construction of such catalysts for future applications.