Enabling N to Ammonia Conversion in Bi WO -Based Materials: A New Avenue in Photocatalytic Applications.

The field of photocatalysis has been evolving since 1972 since Honda and Fujishima's initial push for using light as an energy source to accomplish redox reactions. Since then, many photocatalysts have been studied, semiconductors or otherwise. A new photocatalytic application to convert N gas to ammonia (N fixation or nitrogen reduction reaction; NRR) has emerged. Many researchers have steered their research in this direction due to developments in the ease of ammonia detection through UV-Vis spectroscopy. This concept will specifically discuss Bi WO -based materials, techniques to enhance their photocatalytic activity (CO reduction, H production, pollutant removal, etc.), and their current application in photocatalytic NRR. Initially, a brief introduction of Bi WO along with its VB and CB potentials will be compared to various redox potentials. A final topic of interest would be a brief description of photocatalytic nitrogen fixation with additional consideration to Bi WO -based materials in N fixation. A major problem with photocatalytic NRR is the false ammonia quantification in Bi-based materials, which will be discussed in detail and also ways to minimize them.