Tuning Dynamic Structural Evolution of Bi24O31Cl10 for Enhancing Piezo-Photocatalytic Nitrogen Oxidation to Nitrate

Abstract

Direct nitrogen oxidation into nitrate under ambient conditions presents a promising strategy for harsh and multistep industrial processes. However, the dynamic structural evolution of active sites in surface reactions constitutes a highly intricate endeavor and remains in its nascent stage. Here, we constructed a Bi₂₄O₃₁Cl₁₀ material with moiré superlattice structure (BCMS) for direct piezo-photocatalytic oxidation of nitrogen into nitrate. Excitingly, BCMS achieved excellent nitric acid production (15.44 mg g^–1 h^–1) under light and pressure conditions. Detailed experimental results show that the unique structure extracts the local strain tensor from the constricting Bi–Bi bond and Bi–O bond for internal structural reconstruction, which promotes the formation of electron and reactive molecule vortexes to facilitate charge transfer as well as N₂ and O₂ adsorption. Ultimately, these initiatives strengthen electron exchange between the superoxide radical and nitrogen as well as the binding strength of multiple intermediates, which swayingly adjusts the reaction path and energy barriers.