Synthesis and application of carbon-based materials for the construction of an artificial nitrogen cycle with electrochemistry

This dissertation aims to contribute towards an artificial nitrogen cycle based on carbon-based materials design by electrochemical nitrogen reduction with an electrochemical activated C2N material and nitrate reduction with a single bismuth site material. These two parts include materials design and mechanism interpreting with experiments combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. By building well-defined catalytically active sites on heterogeneous carbon-based materials in different dimensions, it hopefully lights up a mild flame for the path to our ambitious goal, artificial nitrogen cycle.