Halbleiterkatalysierte Photofixierung von Distickstoff

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Horst Kisch
• Subject Area: Solid State and Surface Chemistry, Material Synthesis
• Term: from 1999 to 2010
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5230998

Main objective of the project is the semiconductor catalyzed photofixation of dinitrogen, a topic of basic importance both in artificial and environmental systems, and of controversial reports in the literature. In the latter main attention was given to the reduction to ammonia while only a very few papers deal with the oxidation to nitrate/nitrite. In contrary to that, both fixation pathways with special attention to the oxidative one, shall be persuaded in this project. Nanosized mixed titania iron oxides will be employed as thin films and powder photocatalysts. The longterm goal of this research is to find a heterogeneous catalyst for the solar fixation of dinitrogen from air. Since various minerals possess semiconducting properties, the project comprises essential aspects of the chemistry of the biosphere.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants