Abstract
The development of catalysis technologies for sustainable environmental applications, especially an alternative to ammonia (NH3) production under the Haber–Bosch process, has gained a lot of scope in recent days. The current work demonstrated a green synthesis of graphitic carbon nitride (gC3N4) containing magnesium-zinc-aluminium mixed metal oxides (MgZnAl-MMO) derived from layered double hydroxide (LDH) for visible light aided catalytic production of ammonia. Pyrolysis-hydrothermal techniques were adopted for the synthesis and fabrication of the gC3N4/MgZnAl-MMO catalytic composite. Characterization results of field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–visible spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL), etc. showed the desired properties and functionalities like semi-crystalline structure with rough surface morphology that enhance the sorption reactions. Catalytic composite gC3N4/MgZnAl-MMO showed a bandgap energy of 2.16 eV that is considerably shifted toward the visible range when compared to gC3N4 (2.39 eV) and MgZnAl-MMO (2.93 eV). The results were also well complied with XPS results obtained that promote solar-based photocatalysis. The gC3N4/MgZnAl-MMO assisted photocatalytic production of NH3 in an aqueous media proved to be acceptable by the production of a maximum 47.56 μmol/L NH3 under visible spectrum employing a light emitting diode (LED) source. The results showed that the advancement of catalyst for desired functionalities and NH3 production using LED simulating solar light-aided catalysis would be an alternative to the Haber–Bosch process and solar-based sustainable processes for NH3 production.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to extend their gratitude to, the JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysuru, for providing laboratory facilities; Jain University-CNMS, Bengaluru, for providing electron microscopic imaging (FESEM), XRD & FTIR, IIC-Indian Institution of Technology, Roorkee, for XPS analysis; and Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences, Bangalore, for PL analysis.
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The research was funded by the JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysuru (REG/DIR(R)/URG/54/2011–12/12237).
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Jijoe Samuel P and Divya Vinod: investigation; data curation; methodology; visualization; writing-original draft. Yadav Sneha and Kotermane Mallikarjunappa Anilkumar: visualization; review and editing. Kitirote Wantala and Sami Rtimi: review and editing. Harikaranahalli Puttaiah Shivaraju: conceptualization; supervision; writing-review and editing.
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Prabagar, J.S., Vinod, D., Sneha, Y. et al. Novel gC3N4/MgZnAl-MMO derived from LDH for solar-based photocatalytic ammonia production using atmospheric nitrogen. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 90383–90396 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-24997-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-24997-0