Ru Nanoparticles on Mo-MOF with a[Mo8O26(1-Meim)2]4- Structure for Visible Light Photocatalytic Nitrogen Fixation

doi:10.1007/s40242-025-5066-0

Chemical Research in Chinese Universities ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (4): 771-780.doi: 10.1007/s40242-025-5066-0

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Ru Nanoparticles on Mo-MOF with a[Mo₈O₂₆(1-Meim)₂]₄- Structure for Visible Light Photocatalytic Nitrogen Fixation

SUN Banglun¹, HOU Changan¹, ZHAO Xiaona¹, WANG Chuanjiao¹, WANG Danhong^1,2

1. Tianjin Key Laboratory of Metal and Molecule Based Material Chemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, P. R. China;
2. Nankai University & Cangzhou Bohai New Area Institute of Green Chemical Engineering, Cangzhou 061100, P. R. China

Received:2025-04-16 Accepted:2025-05-07 Online:2025-08-01 Published:2025-07-24
Supported by:
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 22372082), the Nankai Cangzhou Bohai New Area Green Chemical Research Co., LTD Fund (NCC Fund) (No. NCC2022FH01), the Project of the Haihe Laboratory of Sustainable Chemical Transformations, China (No. YYJC202101), the ′111′ Project from China (No. B18030), and the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2022YFA1502901).

Abstract

Abstract: The band structure of the photocatalysts is recognized as a critical factor in photocatalytic nitrogen fixation. In this study, we developed a simple strategy to load Ru nanoparticles on Mo-MOF-Me with a[Mo₈O₂₆(1-Meim)₂]^4- structure (1-Meim=1-methylimidazole). Both Ru⁰ doping level and Mo⁵⁺ defect level were introduced into the band gap of Mo-MOF-Me, extending visible-light absorption to 700 nm, attributed to the electron transition from Mo⁵⁺ defect level to Ru⁰ doping level. Ru@Mo-MOF-Me exhibits significant enhancement in photocatalytic nitrogen fixation performance compared to Ru@Mo-MOF, owing to the strong electron-donating ability of the methyl group in 1-methylimidazole ligand, resulting in a higher amount of Mo⁵⁺ and a higher valence band, which generates a higher Ru⁰ energy level with energetic electrons as the active centers. Moreover, the Ru⁰ energy levels are lower than the conduction band (CB) of Mo-MOF-Me, accelerating photogenerated electron transfer from the CB of Mo-MOF-Me to Ru⁰ to improve nitrogen reduction activity. This work establishes a clear relationship between the photocatalytic activity and the band structure of Ru@Mo-MOF-Me. These findings provide critical insights into the band structure engineering and underscore the importance of constructing metal-semiconductor heterojunctions for efficient photocatalytic nitrogen fixation.

Key words: Photocatalytic nitrogen fixation, Ru nanoparticle, MOF-based heterojunction, [Mo₈O₂₆(1-Meim)₂]^4– structure

SUN Banglun, HOU Changan, ZHAO Xiaona, WANG Chuanjiao, WANG Danhong. Ru Nanoparticles on Mo-MOF with a[Mo₈O₂₆(1-Meim)₂]₄- Structure for Visible Light Photocatalytic Nitrogen Fixation[J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2025, 41(4): 771-780.

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Ru Nanoparticles on Mo-MOF with a[Mo₈O₂₆(1-Meim)₂]₄- Structure for Visible Light Photocatalytic Nitrogen Fixation

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