Experimental Protocols for Sustainable Ammonia Production by Photocatalytic Nitrogen Fixation: Pitfalls and Remedial Measures

Abstract The synthesis of ammonia (NH₃) by photocatalytic nitrogen (N₂) fixation has gained tremendous attention from researchers worldwide. The number of reports on different materials for photocatalytic N₂ fixation is increasing year by year in the quest for developing breakthrough and sustainable photocatalysts in this field. However, there are several pitfalls (nitrogenous impurities in feed gas and on the surface of the catalyst, reaction conditions, use of scavengers, NH₃ quantification methods, etc.) in the path of photocatalytic N₂ fixation experiments, which can lead to the reporting of bogus NH₃ production rates. Therefore, the use of accurate experimental protocols for the quantification of photogenerated NH₃ requires immediate attention and focus of the researchers so that reliable data can be reported in the literature. This perspective article mainly focuses on generating awareness in the photocatalytic N₂ fixation research community about the recent establishments for reporting experimental results in this field. Several pitfalls that may lead to the wrong data reporting and remedial measures to avoid them are discussed in detail. Finally, a summary of the recent advancements in this field and recommendations on future directions is provided.