Development of a Robust Electrochemical Ammonia Electrolysis Protocol Using in Operando Quantitative Analysis

Abstract

Ammonia electrolysis is an eco-friendly technology that shows promise for producing clean hydrogen. Compared to water electrolysis, ammonia electrolysis only requires a low external voltage of 0.06 V to produce hydrogen. This research proposes a simple protocol for evaluating the practical properties of electrocatalysts for ammonia electrolysis using in-operando gas chromatography. The protocol allows for reliable and efficient comparison and evaluation of new ammonia oxidation catalysts, including distinguishing between competitive oxidation reactions and monitoring them in real-time. Additionally, the author investigated the correlation between physical or electrochemical surface areas and stability performances to estimate practical stability based on half-cell analysis. The use of this rigorous protocol should aid in evaluating the practical performance of ammonia oxidation and contribute to identifying viable pathways for the practical electrochemical oxidation of ammonia to hydrogen.