One Iron for Two Iron Sites in a Metal–Organic Framework Toward Simultaneous N2−H2 Activation under Mild Conditions

Abstract

AbstractIron‐based catalysts play an important role in the ammonia industry. As one of the most abundant iron minerals, Fe3O4 containing FeII and FeIII sites is widely distributed in the earth's crust and even on exoplanets, theoretically giving it both economic and catalytic potentials in ammonia synthesis. However, in the absence of specific active co‐catalyst and harsh conditions, Fe3O4 is impossible to achieve ammonia synthesis alone. Here, we designed to activate the relatively inert FeII and FeIII sites in Fe3O4 with a third FeIII site inlayed in a coordination framework (MIL‐101(Fe)) to achieve the unpresented multi‐site collaborative catalysis. In‐depth mechanism study confirmed the roles of three different Fe sites in N2 activation, H2 activation, and product transfer, respectively. Efficient N2−H2 activation to NH3 on the Fe3O4‐based catalytic system has been achieved at extremely mild conditions. Our research provides a theoretical basis and a new strategy for designing efficient non‐noble metal‐based ammonia synthesis catalyst with minimized energy consumption.