Photoelectrochemical properties of a dinitrogen-fixing iron titanate thin film.

The band edge positions of a nitrogen-fixing nanostructured semiconductor thin film are determined both in the dark through spectroelectrochemistry and under irradiation by photovoltage measurements. Both methods afford the same result indicating that the film in addition to the dinitrogen-fixing phase Fe2Ti2O7 also contains titanium dioxide. Thus, both methods enable the analysis of a mixture of semiconducting thin films.

Nitrogen photofixation on nanostructured iron titanate films.

A nanostructured iron titanate thin film has been prepared by a sol-gel method from iron(III) chloride and titanium tetraisopropylate. Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis and Mössbauer spectroscopy suggest the presence of a Fe(2)Ti(2)O(7) phase, which was previously obtained as an intermediary phase upon heating ilmenite. In the presence of ethanol or humic acids and traces of oxygen, the novel film photocatalyzes the fixation of dinitrogen to ammonia (17 microM) and nitrate (45 microM).

Nitrogen Photofixation at Nanostructured Iron Titanate Films.

Mild reducing agents such as ethanol, sodium formate, and humic acids effect the photofixation of nitrogen to ammonia and nitrate at thin films of nanostructured iron titanates. The reaction occurs in the presence of air and light, but is inhibited by the presence of carbon monoxide.