Defect engineering TiO2-x/carbon cloth photoelectrode for efficient N2-to-NH3 conversion under visible light

Oxygen-deficient TiO2-x nanofibers were in situ grown onto carbon cloth via a facile hydrothermal process. It indicates that oxygen vacancies on the as-prepared electrodes play an important role in the photoelectrocatalytic N-2-to-NH3 conversion under visible light (lambda > 420 nm). The NH3 production rate and Faradaic efficiency (FE) on the composites reach the maximums of 4.22 mu g<middle dot>cm(-2)<middle dot>h(-1) and 7.98 % at -0.9 V (vs. RHE), respectively. A synergetic effect between electrocatalysis and photocatalysis is found for the efficient reduction, originated from the oxygen vacancy generation. This work paves a prosperous avenue for efficient N-2 fixation under ambient conditions.