Application of Fe3O4@MoS2 & Co@MoS2 for Electrocatalytic Nitrogen Reduction Reaction Under the Magnetic Field

Abstract

Ammonia, one of the most essential raw ingredient for fertilizers, pharmaceuticals and neutralization. However, the widespread production of ammonia heavily depends on the Haber-Bosch process, which entails substantial use of fossil fuels due to the demanding reaction conditions involving high pressure and temperature. Consequently, finding a sustainable method for synthesizing ammonia becomes crucial in addressing environmental pollution and mitigating energy crises.In order to improve the efficiency of ammonia production, using materials with high catalytic activity is an important factor. Traditional noble metals are recognized as the best catalytic materials. Nevertheless, the high cost and rarity of noble metals make their development and application has haven limited a lot. In recent years, two-dimensional materials attracted the attention of scientists in the field of catalysis. Among them, Molybdenum disulfide has a unique crystal structure and properties. Therefore, we aim to create a heterostructure by doping Co or incorporating Fe3O4 into MoS2, resulting in a material with either paramagnetic or ferromagnetic properties. We intend to observe the electrochemical performance of these materials under an applied magnetic field to further substantiate the influence of the magnetic field on electrocatalytic performance. Eventually, we successfully improved the performance of Nitrogen Reduction Reaction under the magnetic field. In the test of electrochemical performance at -0.04V (vs. RHE), we successfully increased the Faradaic efficiency of Fe3O4@1T-MoS2 from 32.67 to 37.16. Simultaneously, we elevated the Faradaic efficiency of Co@1T-MoS2 from 22% to 35%. From the result, we further confirmed that with the adding of magnetic field our catalyst can reach a better NRR performance. key word: nitrogen reduction reaction, Fe3O4@1T-MoS2, Cobalt-doped 1T phase molybdenum disulfide, magnetic field