(Invited) Electrochemical Nitrogen Fixation Under Ambient Conditions

Abstract

Ammonia is vital to life and industrial manufacture. The traditional technology of ammonia synthesis, Haber-Bosch process, has been plagued for decades with problems of the harsh conditions required (typically 300oC–500oC and 200–300 atm). The mechanism studies of nitrogenase enzymes have recently motivated an alternative electrochemical technology to reduce N2 to NH3 using renewable resources under ambient conditions. Unfortunately, the NRR has seriously subjected to an ultralow Faradaic efficiency and yield rate due to the inert triple bond of N2 molecule and competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). This talk will present our strategies focusing on the perspective of catalyst design to tackle challenges of electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR), such as proposing a Li+ incorporation strategy to facilitate the N2 activation,[1] recommending a finding of the possibility of efficient NRR catalysts accompanied with vigorous HER,[2] disclosing the significance of sized and spatial effects of two-dimension materials (Ti3C2Tx MXene, black phosphorus) for NRR.[3] Moreover, considering electrochemical NRR as an immature field, rigorous control experiments to eliminate possible contaminations and standard ammonia detection methods to ensure data accuracy are proposed.[4] References [1] G. F. Chen, X. Cao, S. Wu, X. Zeng, L. X. Ding*, M. Zhu, H. Wang*, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2017, 139, 9771-9774. [2] H. Cheng, L.-X. Ding*, G.-F. Chen, L. Zhang, J. Xue, H. Wang*, Adv. Mater. 2018, 30, 1803694. [3] Y. Luo, G.-F. Chen, L. Ding, X. Chen, L.-X. Ding*, H, Wang*, Joule 2019, 3, 1-11. [4] G.-F. Chen, S. Ren, L. Zhang, H. Cheng, Y. Luo, K. Zhu, L.-X. Ding*, H. Wang*, Small Methods 2018, 1800337.