(±)Fe2O3/g-C3N4/Ag supported on polymer of intrinsic microporosity films applied as photoanode to water splitting and nitrogen reduction reaction

• Grant number: 23/07295-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: October 02, 2023
• End date: October 01, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Lucia Helena Mascaro Sales
• Grantee: Caio Vinícius da Silva Almeida
• Supervisor: Frank Marken
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Bath, England
• Associated to the scholarship: 21/14693-4 - NH3 production via N2 reduction using Fe2O3/g-C3N4/Ag photoanode and MoS2 modified GDL cathode, BP.PD

Abstract

Ammonia (NH3) is one of the most used chemical compounds in the contemporary era due to its wide range of applications as a precursor of nitrogen compounds in the agricultural, pharmaceutical, and textile industries. However, the industrial production of NH3 relies on the Haber-Bosch process, which is not only energy-intensive but emits large amounts of greenhouse gas. Therefore, photoelectrochemical reduction of dissolved N2 to NH3 in aqueous media using water as the hydrogen source can provide an environmentally benign and sustainable alternative for NH3 synthesis. In this context, this request for a research internship abroad proposes to produce NH3 from the reduction of N2 using an innovative, more economical, and less impactful environment photoelectrochemical system. Therefore, photogenerated electrons from water splitting will be produced using new semiconductor materials based on (±)Fe2O3/g-C3N4 heterojunctions decorated with Ag nanoparticles supported on a polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM) films. The materials that will be used in the cathodic compartment will be those previously prepared in Brazil, composed of MoS2-Fe supported on a gas diffusion layer (GDL) electrode that has shown promising results for electrochemical reduction of N2 to NH3 at atmospheric pressure and room temperature. Important parameters of the combined process will be evaluated, such as potential applied, electrolyte composition, and catalyst load. The NH3 production will be monitored by UV-Vis spectroscopy, gas chromatography (GC), and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (H1 NMR). Finally, the development of more economical and sustainable technologies is a topic of great interest to the scientific community. (AU)