High-impressive separation of photoinduced charge carriers on step-scheme ZnO/ZnSnO3/Carbon dots heterojunction with efficient activity in photocatalytic NH3 production

Abstract Photocatalytic N2 fixation has been overgrowing since the 20th century because the Haber–Bosch process is more energy-intensive. Therefore other sustainable alternatives are highly needed. A simple procedure for constructing novel ZnO/ZnSnO3/Carbon Dots hybrid nanocomposites was exhibited through the hydrothermal approach. The surface morphology, crystal structure, and phase of the designed nanomaterials were assayed with various analyses. In this research paper, photocatalytic N2 fixation induced by ternary ZnO/ZnSnO3/Carbon Dots system. The results displayed that the ZnO/ZnSnO3/Carbon Dots (0.5 mL) system has remarkable activity in the N2 fixation process compared with the sole ZnO and ZnO/ZnSnO3 (30%), which is 11.5 and 2.1 times, respectively. The durability of the optimum system, as an essential character of the nanocomposite, was assayed in four recycles. Moreover, the effect of solvent, electron scavenger and media pH in the NH4+ generation rate was investigated. At last, a suitable mechanism was offered for the notable N2 photofixation improvement. This novel information could clarify the construction of impressive systems for nitrogen photofixation.