Solar-Driven Ammonia Production through Engineering of the Electronic Structure of a Zr-Based MOF.

As a hydrogen carrier and a vital component in fertilizer production, ammonia (NH) is set to play a crucial role in the planet's future. While its industrial production feeds half of the global population, it uses fossil fuels and emits greenhouse gases. To tackle this issue, photocatalytic nitrogen fixation using visible light is emerging as an effective alternative method.

Visible-light driven reaction of CO with alcohols using a Ag/CeO nanocomposite: first photochemical synthesis of linear carbonates under mild conditions.

The first photochemical synthesis of linear carbonates from the reaction of CO with alcohols using a silver-doped ceria nanocomposite at room temperature under visible light irradiation is described. DFT calculations suggested the electron transfer from Ag 4d states to Ce 4f states in the composite for the photoreaction.