1
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Schichtl ZG, Carvalho OQ, Tan J, Saund SS, Ghoshal D, Wilder LM, Gish MK, Nielander AC, Stevens MB, Greenaway AL. Chemistry of Materials Underpinning Photoelectrochemical Solar Fuel Production. Chem Rev 2025; 125:4768-4839. [PMID: 40327786 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.4c00258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2025]
Abstract
Since its inception, photoelectrochemistry has sought to power the generation of fuels, particularly hydrogen, using energy from sunlight. Efficient and durable photoelectrodes, however, remain elusive. Here we review the current state of the art, focusing our discussion on advances in photoelectrodes made in the past decade. We open by briefly discussing fundamental photoelectrochemical concepts and implications for photoelectrode function. We next review a broad range of semiconductor photoelectrodes broken down by material class (oxides, nitrides, chalcogenides, and mature photovoltaic semiconductors), identifying intrinsic properties and discussing their influence on performance. We then identify innovative in situ and operando techniques to directly probe the photoelectrode|electrolyte interface, enabling direct assessment of structure-property relationships for catalytic surfaces in active reaction environments. We close by considering more complex photoelectrochemical fuel-forming reactions (carbon dioxide and nitrogen reduction, as well as alternative oxidation reactions), where product selectivity imposes additional criteria on electrochemical driving force and photoelectrode architecture. By contextualizing recent literature within a fundamental framework, we seek to provide direction for continued progress toward achieving efficient and stable fuel-forming photoelectrodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zebulon G Schichtl
- Materials Chemical and Computational Science Directorate, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - O Quinn Carvalho
- Materials Chemical and Computational Science Directorate, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Jeiwan Tan
- Materials Chemical and Computational Science Directorate, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Simran S Saund
- Materials Chemical and Computational Science Directorate, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Debjit Ghoshal
- Materials Chemical and Computational Science Directorate, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Logan M Wilder
- Materials Chemical and Computational Science Directorate, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Melissa K Gish
- Materials Chemical and Computational Science Directorate, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Adam C Nielander
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, United States
| | - Michaela Burke Stevens
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, United States
| | - Ann L Greenaway
- Materials Chemical and Computational Science Directorate, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
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2
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Lu Z, Zhang J, Wang Y, Yu Y, Kong L. Recent advances in metal single-atom catalysts for ammonia electrosynthesis. MATERIALS HORIZONS 2025; 12:3286-3300. [PMID: 39992634 DOI: 10.1039/d5mh00042d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/26/2025]
Abstract
Electrochemical ammonia synthesis is a promising alternative to the Haber-Bosch process, offering significant potential for sustainable agricultural production and the development of portable, carbon-free energy carriers. The development of electrocatalytic systems is currently dependent on the exploration of electrocatalysts with high activity, selectivity, and stability. Metal single-atom catalysts (SACs) have become a new attractive frontier for ammonia electrosynthesis, owing to their maximized atom utilization, unsaturated atom coordination, and tunable electronic structure. In this review, we focused on different metal sites inside the single-atom catalysts and summarized recent advances in SACs for ammonia electrosynthesis. The properties of small nitrogenous substances (including N2, NO, NO2-, and NO3-) are summarized. In addition, the SACs for different catalytic systems are reviewed, with a particular focus on the special and common grounds of metal atom sites. Finally, the perspectives and challenges of SACs for ammonia electrosynthesis are comprehensively discussed, aspiring to provide insights into the development of electrochemical ammonia synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaole Lu
- Institute of Molecular Plus, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
| | - Jijie Zhang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Smart Sensing Interdisciplinary Science Centre, TKL of Metal and Molecule-Based Material Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Yuting Wang
- Institute of Molecular Plus, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
| | - Yifu Yu
- Institute of Molecular Plus, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
| | - Lingjun Kong
- Institute of Molecular Plus, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
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3
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Jung S, Senthil RA, Moon CJ, Kumar A, Ubaidullah M, Choi MY. Laser-Regulated CoFeRu-LDH Nanostructures: Nitrite-to-Ammonia Production in Zn-Nitrite Battery and Oxygen Evolution in Water Electrolysis. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2025:e2502821. [PMID: 40317871 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202502821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2025] [Revised: 04/09/2025] [Indexed: 05/07/2025]
Abstract
Herein, the design and synthesis of Ru-doped CoFe-layered double hydroxide (CoFeRu─LDH) nanostructures is presented via an innovative yet straightforward pulsed laser method. The CoFeRu─LDH catalyst demonstrates outstanding electrocatalytic performance, achieving a high NH4 + Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 89.65% at -0.7 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode for nitrite reduction reaction (NO2 -RR) and a low overpotential of 297 mV at 10 mA cm-2 for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Comprehensive in situ and ex situ analyses reveal the electrochemically energetic species formed on the CoFeRu─LDH surface during the NO2 -RR and OER. Theoretical studies confirm that Ru doping plays an imperative role in tuning the electronic structure of CoFeRu─LDH, lowering its reaction barriers, and thereby remarkably enhancing its NO2 -RR and OER performance. Specifically, a galvanic Zn-nitrite battery using CoFeRu─LDH as the cathode efficiently converts NO2 - to NH4 + with an FE of 96.8% while concurrently generating electricity with a power density of 4.14 mV cm-2. Furthermore, pairing CoFeRu─LDH as the anode with Pt/C as the cathode in water electrolysis enables H2 production at a low cell voltage of 1.57 V at 10 mA cm-2. This study presents a new pathway to designing versatile, high-performance electrocatalysts for sustainable energy conversion and the production of carbon-free NH3 and H2 fuels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sieon Jung
- Department of Chemistry (BK21 FOUR), Research Institute of Advanced Chemistry, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Raja Arumugam Senthil
- Department of Chemistry (BK21 FOUR), Research Institute of Advanced Chemistry, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Cheol Joo Moon
- Core-Facility Center for Photochemistry & Nanomaterials, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Anuj Kumar
- Nano-Technology Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, GLA University, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, 281406, India
| | - Mohd Ubaidullah
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Myong Yong Choi
- Department of Chemistry (BK21 FOUR), Research Institute of Advanced Chemistry, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea
- Core-Facility Center for Photochemistry & Nanomaterials, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea
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4
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Sun Y, Lu G, Wang Z, Li X, Li Y, Sui NLD, Fan W, Wang A, Yuan B, Wang J, Lee JM. Size Effect of Surface Defects Dictates Reactivity for Nitrogen Electrofixation. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2025; 64:e202425112. [PMID: 40029950 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202425112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2024] [Revised: 02/13/2025] [Accepted: 02/26/2025] [Indexed: 04/01/2025]
Abstract
Electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (eNRR) offers a sustainable pathway for ammonia (NH3) production. Defect engineering enhances eNRR activity but can concurrently amplify the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), posing challenges for achieving high selectivity. Herein, VOx with systematically tuned defect sizes is engineered to establish a structure-activity relationship between defect size and eNRR performance. In situ spectroscopy and theoretical calculations reveal that medium-sized defects (VOx-MD, 1-2 nm) provide an optimal electronic environment for enhanced N2 adsorption and activation while maintaining spatial flexibility to facilitate efficient hydrogenation. Consequently, VOx-MD exhibits outstanding eNRR performance, achieving an NH3 yield rate of 81.94 ± 1.45 µg h-1 mg-1 and a Faradaic efficiency of 31.97 ± 0.75 % at -0.5 V (vs RHE). These findings highlight the critical role of defect size in governing eNRR activity, offering a scalable strategy for designing advanced catalysts for competitve electrocatalytic reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuntong Sun
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637459, Singapore
| | - Gonggong Lu
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, 29 Wangjiang Road, Chengdu, 610064, China
| | - Zhiqi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710072, China
| | - Xuheng Li
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710072, China
| | - Yinghao Li
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637459, Singapore
| | - Nicole L D Sui
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637459, Singapore
| | - Wenjun Fan
- Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, iChEM, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Ao Wang
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637459, Singapore
- Institute of Chemical Industry of Forest Products, Chinese Academy of Forestry, No. 16 Suojin 5th Village, Nanjing, 210042, China
| | - Bo Yuan
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, 29 Wangjiang Road, Chengdu, 610064, China
| | - Junjie Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710072, China
| | - Jong-Min Lee
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637459, Singapore
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Miao J, Chen C, Cao L, Al Nuaimi R, Li Z, Huang KW, Lai Z. Harnessing Lithium-Mediated Green Ammonia Synthesis with Water Electrolysis Boosted by Membrane Electrolyzer with Polyoxometalate Proton Shuttles. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2025:e202503465. [PMID: 40289915 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202503465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2025] [Revised: 04/13/2025] [Accepted: 04/25/2025] [Indexed: 04/30/2025]
Abstract
Integrating water electrolysis (WE) with lithium-mediated nitrogen reduction (Li-NRR) offers a sustainable route for green ammonia production by directly utilizing protons from water oxidation, eliminating reliance on grey or blue hydrogen. Here, polyoxometalates (POMs) function as electron-coupled proton buffers (ECPBs) to seamlessly link WE with Li-NRR in a three-compartment flow reactor comprising an aqueous anode, an organic cathode, and a gas feed chamber. POMs serve as proton shuttles while suppressing the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), facilitating efficient ammonia synthesis. The addition of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) enhances catholyte hydrophobicity, mitigating water contamination. By optimizing ECPB concentration, a dynamic balance is achieved between lithium nitride intermediates (LiNxHy) formation and consumption, yielding ammonia at 573.7 ± 5.2 µg h⁻¹ cm⁻2 with a Faradaic efficiency of 54.2%. This design advances flow reactor technology by uniquely utilizing water oxidation as a direct proton source, bypassing conventional hydrogen oxidation methods. The use of POMs as proton shuttles establishes a new benchmark for green ammonia production, reinforcing its potential in sustainable chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Miao
- Center of Excellence for Renewable Energy and Storage Technologies, Physical Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Cailing Chen
- Center of Excellence for Renewable Energy and Storage Technologies, Physical Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Li Cao
- Center of Excellence for Renewable Energy and Storage Technologies, Physical Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Reham Al Nuaimi
- Center of Excellence for Renewable Energy and Storage Technologies, Physical Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Zhen Li
- Center of Excellence for Renewable Energy and Storage Technologies, Physical Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Kuo-Wei Huang
- Center of Excellence for Renewable Energy and Storage Technologies, Physical Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Zhiping Lai
- Center of Excellence for Renewable Energy and Storage Technologies, Physical Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
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6
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Tang S, Mao C, Zhao G, Ye J, Qu W, Wu L, Ozin G. Fact or fiction: What is in your 15N 2 and 15NH 3 cylinders for sustainable ammonia and urea research? iScience 2025; 28:112072. [PMID: 40151643 PMCID: PMC11937674 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2025.112072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 01/03/2025] [Accepted: 02/17/2025] [Indexed: 03/29/2025] Open
Abstract
Attaining reliable performance indicators via 15N-labeling is a daunting research endeavor for sustainable ammonia and urea synthesis processes, as currently obtained reaction rates and yields are often low. However, artifact and misinterpretation can be induced by ppm-level impurities in commercial 15N2 and 15NH3 cylinders, which are not well understood. Here, we report quantitative in-line gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of impurities in commercial 15N2 and 15NH3 cylinders at ppm level, in conjunction with 1H-NMR methods, exemplified by 808-16,252 ppm of 14N15N, 0-4,891 ppm 15NH3, 3-319 ppm 14NH3, 0-231 ppm of 14NO2, 0-176 ppm 15NO2, and 0-566 ppm 15N16O impurities, some of which were not reported in cylinder certification nor previous studies. The collected results have formed recommended protocols applicable to all future 15N labeling experiments intended to eliminate false positives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanli Tang
- Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Chengliang Mao
- Solar Fuels Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H6, Canada
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Guanshu Zhao
- Solar Fuels Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Jessica Ye
- Solar Fuels Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Wenqiang Qu
- Solar Fuels Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Lei Wu
- Solar Fuels Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Geoffrey Ozin
- Solar Fuels Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H6, Canada
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7
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Zhou C, Zhao Q. Revealing Mechanisms of Lithium-Mediated Nitrogen Reduction Reaction from First-Principles Simulations. Chemphyschem 2025; 26:e202401097. [PMID: 39924463 PMCID: PMC11963971 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202401097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2024] [Revised: 01/21/2025] [Accepted: 02/07/2025] [Indexed: 02/11/2025]
Abstract
Recently, lithium-mediated nitrogen reduction reaction (Li-NRR) in nonaqueous electrolytes has proven to be an environmentally friendly and feasible route for ammonia electrosynthesis, revealing tremendous economic and social advantages over the industrial Haber-Bosch process which consumes enormous fossil fuels and generates massive carbon dioxide emissions, and direct electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) which suffers from sluggish kinetics and poor faradaic efficiencies. However, reaction mechanisms of Li-NRR and the role of solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer in activating N2 remain unclear, impeding its further development. Here, using electronic structure theory, we discover a nitridation-coupled reduction mechanism and a nitrogen cycling reduction mechanism on lithium and lithium nitride surfaces, respectively, which are major components of SEI in experimental characterization. Our work reveals divergent pathways in Li-NRR from conventional direct electrocatalytic NRR, highlights the role of surface reconstruction in improving reactivity, and sheds light on further enhancing efficiency of ammonia electrosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengyu Zhou
- Department of Chemical EngineeringNortheastern UniversityBostonMassachusetts02115United States
| | - Qing Zhao
- Department of Chemical EngineeringNortheastern UniversityBostonMassachusetts02115United States
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8
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Rems E, Herceg A, Yordanova Apostolova D, Dominko R, Jovanovič P, Genorio B. Microfluidics for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage: Prospects Toward Sustainable Ammonia Production. CHEM REC 2025; 25:e202400234. [PMID: 39905922 PMCID: PMC11991685 DOI: 10.1002/tcr.202400234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2024] [Revised: 01/16/2025] [Indexed: 02/06/2025]
Abstract
Ammonia is a key chemical in the production of fertilizers, refrigeration and an emerging hydrogen-carrying fuel. However, the Haber-Bosch process, the industrial standard for centralized ammonia production, is energy-intensive and indirectly generates significant carbon dioxide emissions. Electrochemical nitrogen reduction offers a promising alternative for green ammonia production. Yet, current reaction rates remain well below economically feasible targets. This work examines the application of electrochemical microfluidics for the enhancement of the rates of electrochemical ammonia synthesis. The review is built on the introduction to electrochemical microfluidics, corresponding cell designs, and the main applications of microfluidics in electrochemical energy conversion/storage. Based on recent advances in electrochemical ammonia synthesis, with an emphasis on the critical role of robust experimental controls, electrochemical microfluidics represents a promising route to environmentally friendly, on-site and on-demand ammonia production. This review aims to bridge the knowledge gap between the disciplines of electrochemistry and microfluidics and promote interdisciplinary understanding and innovation in this transformative field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ervin Rems
- Department of Materials ChemistryNational Institute of ChemistryHajdrihova 191001LjubljanaSlovenia
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical TechnologyUniversity of LjubljanaVečna pot 1131000LjubljanaSlovenia
| | - Ana Herceg
- Department of Materials ChemistryNational Institute of ChemistryHajdrihova 191001LjubljanaSlovenia
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical TechnologyUniversity of LjubljanaVečna pot 1131000LjubljanaSlovenia
| | | | - Robert Dominko
- Department of Materials ChemistryNational Institute of ChemistryHajdrihova 191001LjubljanaSlovenia
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical TechnologyUniversity of LjubljanaVečna pot 1131000LjubljanaSlovenia
- Alistore-European Research InstituteCNRS FR 3104Hub de l'EnergieRue Baudelocque80039AmiensFrance
| | - Primož Jovanovič
- Department of Materials ChemistryNational Institute of ChemistryHajdrihova 191001LjubljanaSlovenia
| | - Bostjan Genorio
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical TechnologyUniversity of LjubljanaVečna pot 1131000LjubljanaSlovenia
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9
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Ballard-Kyle P, Hsieh I, Zhu H. Electrocatalytic CN Coupling: Advances in Urea Synthesis and Opportunities for Alternative Products. CHEMSUSCHEM 2025:e2402566. [PMID: 40079802 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202402566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2024] [Revised: 02/10/2025] [Accepted: 02/11/2025] [Indexed: 03/15/2025]
Abstract
Urea is an essential fertilizer produced through the industrial synthesis of ammonia (NH3) via the Haber-Bosch process, which contributes ≈1.2% of global annual CO2 emissions. Electrocatalytic urea synthesis under ambient conditions via CN coupling from CO2 and nitrogen species such as nitrate (NO3 -), nitrite (NO2 -), nitric oxide (NO), and nitrogen gas (N2) has gained interest as a more sustainable route. However, challenges remain due to the unclear reaction pathways for urea formation, competing reactions, and the complexity of the resulting product matrix. This review highlights recent advances in catalyst design, urea quantification, and intermediate identification in the CN coupling reaction for electrocatalytic urea synthesis. Furthermore, this review explores future prospects for industrial CN coupling, considering potential nitrogen and carbon sources and examining alternative CN coupling products, such as amides and amines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parker Ballard-Kyle
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, 409 McCormick Rd, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
| | - Isabel Hsieh
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, 409 McCormick Rd, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
| | - Huiyuan Zhu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, 409 McCormick Rd, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
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Liu C, Yang C, Zhang W, Li Y. Promoting *NO 2 Hydrogeneration on Cobalt-Doped Copper Oxides for Selective Ammonia Electrosynthesis from Nitrate. CHEMSUSCHEM 2025:e202500017. [PMID: 40047527 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202500017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2025] [Revised: 02/28/2025] [Indexed: 03/19/2025]
Abstract
Electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) driven by renewable energy has attracted extensive attention, which can realize nitrate degradation and ammonia production simultaneously under ambient conditions. Copper-based catalysts are the most widely used due to their high activity but are subject to low selectivity owing to intermediate nitrite accumulation. This work has reported cobalt-doped copper oxide (Co/CuO) composites, while introduced Co sites accelerate the hydrogenation of nitrogen species. The prepared Co/CuO composites realize a 93.9 % Faradaic efficiency at the applied potential of -0.4 V (vs. RHE), yielding ammonia at 0.5441 mmol⋅h-1 cm-2. The exceptional stability of Co/CuO composites has also been affirmed by following continuous recycling tests. In situ characterization confirms that the existence of Co sites is prone to conversion of *NO2 to *NH2, thus exhibiting high performance for NO3RR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Liu
- Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Hierarchical Nanomaterials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Chunqi Yang
- Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Hierarchical Nanomaterials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Wenxuan Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Hierarchical Nanomaterials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Yuhang Li
- Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Hierarchical Nanomaterials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
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Zhao Y, Xu J, Huang Z, Wang Y, Li Y, Wei H. Tuning Metal-Phthalocyanine 2D Covalent Organic Frameworks for the Nitrogen Reduction Reaction: Cooperativity of Transition Metals and Organic Linkers. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2025; 17:12156-12168. [PMID: 39936936 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c20810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/13/2025]
Abstract
Two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (2D-COFs) exhibit high activity in the electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR), while the structure-performance relationship toward which remains an unsolved problem, therefore hindering the development of efficient catalysts. In this work, a total of 145 candidate transition metal phthalocyanine (TMPc-DX) materials comprised of 29 transition metals and X-phthalocyanine (X = N, O, F, S, and Cl) are evaluated for their capabilities in the NRR by density functional theory calculations. Our computations showed that metal atoms in TMPc-DN/DF/DCl materials could efficiently activate N2 molecules by doping with electron-withdrawing groups. The catalysts MoPc-DN and NbPc-DN are recognized to exhibit the highest electrocatalytic performance for the NRR with the lowest limit potentials of 0.31 and 0.32 V, respectively. Moreover, NbPc-DN showed a significant advantage by suppressing the hydrogen evolution reaction, making it a top contender among TMPc-DX materials for the electrocatalytic NRR. Through detailed orbital interaction analysis, our research has demonstrated that embedding transition metals into the substrate (Pc-DX) results in a direct correlation between the number of electrons transferred to the substrate and the reduction of energy splitting of the metal's d orbital, which directly causes a decrease in the metal's magnetic moment. Consequently, the affinity of the metal for N2 adsorption is directly proportional to the extent of the electron transfer. Our findings underscore the significance of the material's magnetic moment as a preliminary indicator for gauging the effectiveness of N2 adsorption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuji Zhao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biofunctional Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Ministry-of-Education Key Laboratory of NSLSCS, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210097, China
| | - Jiawei Xu
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QZ, United Kingdom
| | - Ziyue Huang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biofunctional Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Ministry-of-Education Key Laboratory of NSLSCS, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210097, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biofunctional Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Ministry-of-Education Key Laboratory of NSLSCS, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210097, China
| | - Yafei Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biofunctional Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Ministry-of-Education Key Laboratory of NSLSCS, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210097, China
| | - Haiyan Wei
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biofunctional Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Ministry-of-Education Key Laboratory of NSLSCS, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210097, China
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12
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Boyd E, Jung H, Peters JC. Samarium as a Catalytic Electron-Transfer Mediator in Electrocatalytic Nitrogen Reduction to Ammonia. J Am Chem Soc 2025; 147:4695-4700. [PMID: 39878078 PMCID: PMC11826969 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c14845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2024] [Revised: 01/23/2025] [Accepted: 01/24/2025] [Indexed: 01/31/2025]
Abstract
Samarium diiodide (SmI2) exhibits high selectivity for N2R catalyzed by molybdenum complexes; however, it has so far been employed only as a stoichiometric reagent (0.3 equiv of NH3 per Sm) combined with coordinating proton sources (e.g., H2O, ROH). The latter inhibit catalytic turnover of SmIII owing to buildup of stable hydroxide/alkoxide sinks. Here, we report a tandem Sm/Mo-catalyzed eN2R system that achieves the lowest overpotential and highest Faradaic efficiency (82%) reported to date for nonaqueous eN2R at ambient pressure. Up to 8.4 equiv of NH3 is produced per Sm, representing a 25-fold increase over N2R with stoichiometric SmI2. A noncoordinating proton source enables electrochemical SmI3/SmI2 cycling at the applied potential of -1.45 V vs Fc+/0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily
A. Boyd
- Division of Chemistry and
Chemical Engineering, California Institute
of Technology (Caltech), Pasadena, California 91125, United States
| | - Hoimin Jung
- Division of Chemistry and
Chemical Engineering, California Institute
of Technology (Caltech), Pasadena, California 91125, United States
| | - Jonas C. Peters
- Division of Chemistry and
Chemical Engineering, California Institute
of Technology (Caltech), Pasadena, California 91125, United States
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13
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Shen Z, Xu F, Cheng X, Jiang J, Zhou C, Zeng Y, Wang XZ, Yang L, Wu Q, Hu Z. Highly Accessible Electrocatalyst with In Situ Formed Copper-Cluster Active Sites for Enhanced Nitrate-to-Ammonia Conversion. ACS NANO 2025; 19:4611-4621. [PMID: 39844596 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c14802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2025]
Abstract
Ammonia synthesis via nitrate electroreduction is more attractive and sustainable than the energy-extensive Haber-Bosch process and intrinsically sluggish nitrogen electroreduction. Herein, we have designed a single-site Cu catalyst on hierarchical nitrogen-doped carbon nanocage support (Cu1/hNCNC) for nitrate electroreduction, which achieves an ultrahigh ammonia yield rate (YRNH3) of 99.4 mol h-1 gCu-1 (2.30 mol h-1 gcat.-1) with ammonia Faradaic efficiency (FENH3) of 99.3%, far beyond the most reported single-site catalysts on carbon-based supports. The combined operando characterization and theoretical studies indicate that the in situ formed Cu-cluster active sites are responsible for the high YRNH3 and FENH3 due to the enhanced NO3- adsorption and subsequent protonation on the unique Cu3-N4 moieties, and meanwhile, the hierarchical hNCNC support facilitates the mass/charge transfer kinetics, thus promoting the high expression of intrinsic activity. The demonstration of plasma N2 oxidization and nitrate electroreduction cascade reaction manifests the great potential of the Cu1/hNCNC electrocatalyst in sustainable NH3 synthesis. These findings offer valuable insights into the design of effective catalysts for electrosynthetic reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Shen
- Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE and Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory of Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
- State Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (LoFE) & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Fengfei Xu
- Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE and Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory of Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Xueyi Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE and Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory of Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Jietao Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE and Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory of Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Changkai Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE and Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory of Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yu Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE and Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory of Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Xi-Zhang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE and Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory of Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Lijun Yang
- Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE and Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory of Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Qiang Wu
- Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE and Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory of Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Zheng Hu
- Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE and Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory of Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
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14
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Zhou Y, Fu X, Chorkendorff I, Nørskov JK. Electrochemical Ammonia Synthesis: The Energy Efficiency Challenge. ACS ENERGY LETTERS 2025; 10:128-132. [PMID: 39816621 PMCID: PMC11731352 DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.4c02954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2024] [Revised: 11/14/2024] [Accepted: 11/20/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2025]
Abstract
We discuss the challenges associated with achieving high energy efficiency in electrochemical ammonia synthesis at near-ambient conditions. The current Li-mediated process has a theoretical maximum energy efficiency of ∼28%, since Li deposition gives rise to a very large effective overpotential. As a starting point toward finding electrocatalysts with lower effective overpotentials, we show that one reason why Li and alkaline earth metals work as N2 reduction electrocatalysts at ambient conditions is that the thermal elemental processes, N2 dissociation and NH3 desorption, are both facile at room temperature for these metals. Many transition metals, which have less negative reduction potentials and thus lower effective overpotentials, can dissociate N2 at these conditions but they all bind NH3 too strongly. Strategies to circumvent this problem are discussed, as are the other requirements for a good N2 reduction electrocatalyst.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ib Chorkendorff
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lynby 2800, Denmark
| | - Jens K. Nørskov
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lynby 2800, Denmark
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15
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Zhang H, Zhou W, Hu L, Guo Y, Lu Y, Feng J. La doped-Fe 2(MoO 4) 3 with the synergistic effect between Fe 2+/Fe 3+ cycling and oxygen vacancies enhances the electrocatalytic synthesizing NH 3. J Colloid Interface Sci 2025; 677:264-272. [PMID: 39094487 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.07.226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2024] [Revised: 07/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/28/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
The electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) is a crucial process in addressing energy shortages and environmental concerns by synthesizing the NH3. However, the difficulty of N2 activation and fewer NRR active sites limit the application of NRR. Therefore, the NRR performance can be improved by rapid electron transport paths to participate in multi-electron reactions and N2 activation. Doping with transition metal element is a viable strategy to provide electrons and electronic channels in the NRR. This study focuses on the synthesis of Fe2(MoO4)3 (FeMo) and x%La-doped FeMo (x = 3, 5, 7, and 10) using the hydrothermal method. La-doping creates electron transport channels Fe2+-O2--Fe3+ and oxygen vacancies, achieving an equal molar ratio of Fe2+/Fe3+. This strategy enables the super-exchange in Fe2+-O2--Fe3+, and then enhances electron transport speed for a rapid hydrogenation reaction. Therefore, the synergistic effect of Fe2+/Fe3+ cycling and oxygen vacancies improves the NRR performance. Notably, 5%La-FeMo demonstrates the superior NRR performance (NH3 yield rate: 29.6 μg h-1 mgcat-1, Faradaic efficiency: 5.8%) at -0.8 V (vs. RHE). This work analyzes the influence of the catalyst electronic environment on the NRR performance based on the effect on different valence states of ions on electron transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hexin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Superlight Materials & Surface Technology of Ministry of Education, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, PR China
| | - Weichi Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Superlight Materials & Surface Technology of Ministry of Education, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, PR China
| | - Liangqing Hu
- Key Laboratory of Superlight Materials & Surface Technology of Ministry of Education, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, PR China.
| | - Yanming Guo
- Key Laboratory of Superlight Materials & Surface Technology of Ministry of Education, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, PR China
| | - Yinpeng Lu
- Key Laboratory of Superlight Materials & Surface Technology of Ministry of Education, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, PR China
| | - Jing Feng
- Key Laboratory of Superlight Materials & Surface Technology of Ministry of Education, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, PR China.
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16
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Li P, Wu R, Li P, Gao S, Qin Z, Song X, Sun W, Hua Z, Wang Q, Chen S. Bi 2Ti 2O 7 Quantum Dots for Efficient Photocatalytic Fixation of Nitrogen to Ammonia: Impacts of Shallow Energy Levels. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2408829. [PMID: 39234814 PMCID: PMC11538629 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202408829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2024] [Revised: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024]
Abstract
Photocatalytic fixation of nitrogen to ammonia represents an attractive alternative to the Haber-Bosch process under ambient conditions, and the performance can be enhanced by defect engineering of the photocatalysts, in particular, formation of shallow energy levels due to oxygen vacancies that can significantly facilitate the adsorption and activation of nitrogen. This calls for deliberate size engineering of the photocatalysts. In the present study, pyrochlore Bi2Ti2O7 quantum dots and (bulk-like) nanosheets are prepared hydrothermally by using bismuth nitrate and titanium sulfate as the precursors. Despite a similar oxygen vacancy concentration, the quantum dots exhibit a drastically enhanced photocatalytic performance toward nitrogen fixation, at a rate of 332.03 µmol g-1 h-1, which is 77 times higher than that of the nanosheet counterpart. Spectroscopic and computational studies based on density functional theory calculations show that the shallow levels arising from oxygen vacancies in the Bi2Ti2O7 quantum dots, in conjunction with the moderately constrained quantum confinement effect, facilitate the chemical adsorption and activation of nitrogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengkun Li
- Laboratory for Micro‐sized Functional Materials & College of Elementary Education and Department of ChemistryCapital Normal UniversityBeijing100048China
| | - Runjie Wu
- Laboratory for Micro‐sized Functional Materials & College of Elementary Education and Department of ChemistryCapital Normal UniversityBeijing100048China
| | - Peishen Li
- College of Environmental Sciences and EngineeringKey Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences (MOE)Peking UniversityBeijing100871China
| | - Shuai Gao
- Laboratory for Micro‐sized Functional Materials & College of Elementary Education and Department of ChemistryCapital Normal UniversityBeijing100048China
| | - Zeping Qin
- Laboratory for Micro‐sized Functional Materials & College of Elementary Education and Department of ChemistryCapital Normal UniversityBeijing100048China
| | - Xingjian Song
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of California1156 High StreetSanta CruzCA95064USA
| | - Wenming Sun
- Laboratory for Micro‐sized Functional Materials & College of Elementary Education and Department of ChemistryCapital Normal UniversityBeijing100048China
| | - Zhaorui Hua
- Laboratory for Micro‐sized Functional Materials & College of Elementary Education and Department of ChemistryCapital Normal UniversityBeijing100048China
| | - Qiang Wang
- Laboratory for Micro‐sized Functional Materials & College of Elementary Education and Department of ChemistryCapital Normal UniversityBeijing100048China
| | - Shaowei Chen
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of California1156 High StreetSanta CruzCA95064USA
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17
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Bhat AY, Bashir AU, Jain P, Bhat MA, Ingole PP. Unraveling the Active Sites on Mesoporous CuFe 2O 4@N-Carbon Catalysts with Abundant Oxygen Vacancies and M-N-C Content for Boosted Nitrogen Reduction Toward Electrosynthesis of Ammonia. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2403319. [PMID: 39082204 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202403319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2024] [Revised: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 11/08/2024]
Abstract
Transition metal centers dispersed over nitrogen-doped carbon (M-NC) supports have been widely explored for electrocatalytic reactions; however, sparsely reported for electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (ENRR). Particularly, the single-atom catalysts (SACs) have shown reasonable ammonia yield rate and faradaic efficiency (FE), but their complex synthesis and low durability for long-term electrocatalysis runs restrict their use on a larger scale. Importantly, the catalytic active sites in metal nanostructured-based M-NC catalysts toward enhanced N2 adsorption and activation are still not clear as they are highly challenging to reveal. A few studies have predicted that the surface oxygen vacancies (Ovac) favor an enhanced ENRR performance. Herein, a strategy using tailored M-NC content and Ovac in a single catalyst for enhanced ammonia electrosynthesis is devised. A mesoporous bimetallic spinel oxide (CuFe2O4) supported over N-doped carbon (CuFe2O4@NC) derived from Prussian blue analog (PBA) via controlled pyrolysis possess is found to show boosted ENRR activity. Moreover, operando NH3 formation over the catalyst is observed using four electrode set up. This approach enables rapid evaluation ofelectrocatalytic efficacy and avoids false positive results. The rotating disc electrode results reveal that mass transport in acidic media and surface absorption in alkline media primarily regulate ENRR over CuFe2O4@NC electrocatalyst.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aamir Y Bhat
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, 110016, India
| | - Aejaz Ul Bashir
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, 110016, India
| | - Priya Jain
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, 110016, India
| | - Mohsin A Bhat
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kashmir, Hazratbal, Srinagar, 190006, India
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18
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Bagger A, Tort R, Titirici MM, Walsh A, Stephens IEL. Electrochemical Nitrogen Reduction: The Energetic Distance to Lithium. ACS ENERGY LETTERS 2024; 9:4947-4952. [PMID: 39416676 PMCID: PMC11474955 DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.4c01638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2024] [Revised: 08/11/2024] [Accepted: 09/10/2024] [Indexed: 10/19/2024]
Abstract
Energy-efficient electrochemical reduction of nitrogen to ammonia could help in mitigating climate change. Today, only Li- and recently Ca-mediated systems can perform the reaction. These materials have a large intrinsic energy loss due to the need to electroplate the metal. In this work, we present a series of calculated energetics, formation energies, and binding energies as fundamental features to calculate the energetic distance between Li and Ca and potential new electrochemical nitrogen reduction systems. The featured energetic distance increases with the standard potential. However, dimensionality reduction using principal component analysis provides an encouraging picture; Li and Ca are not exceptional in this feature space, and other materials should be able to carry out the reaction. However, it becomes more challenging the more positive the plating potential is.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Bagger
- Department
of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby 2800, Denmark
| | - Romain Tort
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College
London, SW7 2AZ London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Aron Walsh
- Department
of Materials, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Ifan E. L. Stephens
- Department
of Materials, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
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19
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Shin D, Jeon Y, Nguyen VT, Kang S, Hong Y, Lim C, Yong K, Shin H, Hwang YJ. Insight into Fluoride Additives to Enhance Ammonia Production from Lithium-Mediated Electrochemical Nitrogen Reduction Reaction. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2404525. [PMID: 38984768 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202404525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
Demands for green ammonia production increase due to its application as a proton carrier, and recent achievements in electrochemical Li-mediated nitrogen reduction reactions (Li-NRRs) show promising reliability. Here, it is demonstrated that F-containing additives in the electrolyte improve ammonia production by modulating the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). It is suggested that the anionic additives with low lowest unoccupied molecular orbital levels enhance efficiency by contributing to the formation of a conductive SEI incorporated with LiF. Specifically, as little as 0.3 wt.% of BF4 - additive to the electrolyte, the Faradaic efficiency (FE) for ammonia production is enhanced by over 15% compared to an additive-free electrolyte, achieving a high yield of 161 ± 3 nmol s-1 cm-2. The BF4 - additive exhibits advantages, with decreased overpotential and improved FE, compared to its use as the bulk electrolyte. The observation of the Li3N upper layer implies that active Li-NRR catalytic cycles are occurring on the outermost SEI, and density functional theory simulations propose that an SEI incorporated with LiF facilitates energy profiles for the protonation by adjusting the binding energies of the intermediates compared to bare copper. This study unlocks the potential of additives and offers insights into the SEIs for efficient Li-NRRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongwoo Shin
- Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Science, Seoul National University (SNU), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Institute for Data Innovation in Science, Seoul National University (SNU), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeongbae Jeon
- Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Science, Seoul National University (SNU), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Vy Thuy Nguyen
- Graduate School of Energy Science and Technology (GEST), Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Shinmyeong Kang
- Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Science, Seoul National University (SNU), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Yewon Hong
- Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Science, Seoul National University (SNU), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Chaeeun Lim
- Surface Chemistry Laboratory of Electronic Materials (SCHEMA), Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
- Research Center for Carbon-zero Green Ammonia Cycling (RCCGAC), Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Kijung Yong
- Surface Chemistry Laboratory of Electronic Materials (SCHEMA), Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
- Research Center for Carbon-zero Green Ammonia Cycling (RCCGAC), Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeyoung Shin
- Graduate School of Energy Science and Technology (GEST), Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun Jeong Hwang
- Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Science, Seoul National University (SNU), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
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20
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Jia C, Sun Q, Liu R, Mao G, Maschmeyer T, Gooding JJ, Zhang T, Dai L, Zhao C. Challenges and Opportunities for Single-Atom Electrocatalysts: From Lab-Scale Research to Potential Industry-Level Applications. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2404659. [PMID: 38870958 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202404659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Single-atom electrocatalysts (SACs) are a class of promising materials for driving electrochemical energy conversion reactions due to their intrinsic advantages, including maximum metal utilization, well-defined active structures, and strong interface effects. However, SACs have not reached full commercialization for broad industrial applications. This review summarizes recent research achievements in the design of SACs for crucial electrocatalytic reactions on their active sites, coordination, and substrates, as well as the synthesis methods. The key challenges facing SACs in activity, selectivity, stability, and scalability, are highlighted. Furthermore, it is pointed out the new strategies to address these challenges including increasing intrinsic activity of metal sites, enhancing the utilization of metal sites, improving the stability, optimizing the local environment, developing new fabrication techniques, leveraging insights from theoretical studies, and expanding potential applications. Finally, the views are offered on the future direction of single-atom electrocatalysis toward commercialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Jia
- School of Chemistry, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Qian Sun
- School of Chemistry, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Ruirui Liu
- School of Chemistry, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Guangzhao Mao
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Thomas Maschmeyer
- Laboratory of Advanced Catalysis for Sustainability, School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - J Justin Gooding
- School of Chemistry, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Tao Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Applied Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Liming Dai
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Chuan Zhao
- School of Chemistry, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
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21
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Glauber JP, Lorenz J, Liu J, Müller B, Bragulla S, Kostka A, Rogalla D, Wark M, Nolan M, Harms C, Devi A. A sustainable CVD approach for ZrN as a potential catalyst for nitrogen reduction reaction. Dalton Trans 2024; 53:15451-15464. [PMID: 39037344 DOI: 10.1039/d4dt01252f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
In pursuit of developing alternatives for the highly polluting Haber-Bosch process for ammonia synthesis, the electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) using transition metal nitrides such as zirconium mononitride (ZrN) has been identified as a potential pathway for ammonia synthesis. In particular, specific facets of ZrN have been theoretically described as potentially active and selective for NRR. Major obstacles that need to be addressed include the synthesis of tailored catalyst materials that can activate the inert dinitrogen bond while suppressing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and not degrading during electrocatalysis. To tackle these challenges, a comprehensive understanding of the influence of the catalyst's structure, composition, and morphology on the NRR activity is required. This motivates the use of metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) as the material synthesis route as it enables catalyst nanoengineering by tailoring the process parameters. Herein, we report the fabrication of oriented and facetted crystalline ZrN thin films employing a single source precursor (SSP) MOCVD approach on silicon and glassy carbon (GC) substrates. First principles density functional theory (DFT) simulations elucidated the preferred decomposition pathway of SSP, whereas ab initio molecular dynamics simulations show that ZrN at room temperature undergoes surface oxidation with ambient O2, yielding a Zr-O-N film, which is consistent with compositional analysis using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) in combination with nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) depth profiling. Proof-of-principle electrochemical experiments demonstrated the applicability of the developed ZrN films on GC for NRR and qualitatively hint towards a possible activity for the electrochemical NRR in the sulfuric acid electrolyte.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Pierre Glauber
- Inorganic Materials Chemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany.
| | - Julian Lorenz
- Institute of Engineering Thermodynamics, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Carl-von-Ossietzky-Str. 15, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Ji Liu
- Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, Lee Maltings, Dyke Parade, T12 R5CP Cork, Ireland
| | - Björn Müller
- Institute of Chemistry, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Str. 9-11, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Bragulla
- Institute of Engineering Thermodynamics, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Carl-von-Ossietzky-Str. 15, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
- Institute of Building Energetics, Thermal Engineering and Energy Storage, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 31, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Aleksander Kostka
- Center for Interface Dominated Materials (ZGH), Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Detlef Rogalla
- RUBION, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Michael Wark
- Institute of Chemistry, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Str. 9-11, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Michael Nolan
- Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, Lee Maltings, Dyke Parade, T12 R5CP Cork, Ireland
| | - Corinna Harms
- Institute of Engineering Thermodynamics, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Carl-von-Ossietzky-Str. 15, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Anjana Devi
- Inorganic Materials Chemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany.
- Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research, Helmholtzstr. 20, 01069, Dresden, Germany
- Chair of Materials Chemistry, Bergstr. 66, 01069, Dresden, Germany
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22
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Ngai JHL, Li Z, Wang J, He J, Ding J, Li Y. Strategic Design of Hemi-Isoindigo Polymer for a Highly Sensitive and Selective All-Printed Flexible Nitrogen Dioxide Chemiresistive Sensor. SMALL METHODS 2024; 8:e2301521. [PMID: 38319029 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202301521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
The study has developed two hemi-isoindigo (HID)-based polymers for printed flexible resistor-type nitrogen oxide (NO2) sensors: poly[2-ethylhexyl 3-((3'",4'-bis(dodecyloxy)-3,4-dimethoxy-[2,2':5',2'"-terthiophen]-5-yl)methylene)-2-oxoindoline-1-carboxylate] (P1) and poly[2-ethylhexyl 2-oxo-3-((3,3'",4,4'-tetrakis(dodecyloxy)-[2,2':5',2'"-terthiophen]-5-yl)methylene)indoline-1-carboxylate] (P2). These polymers feature thermally removable carbamate side chains on the HID units, providing solubility and creating molecular cavities after thermal annealing. These cavities enhance NO2 diffusion, and the liberated unsubstituted amide ─C(═O)NH─ groups readily form robust double hydrogen bonds (DHB), as demonstrated by computer simulations. Furthermore, both polymers possess elevated highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy levels of -4.74 and -4.77 eV, making them highly susceptible to p-doping by NO2. Gas sensors fabricated from P1 and P2 films, anneal under optimized conditions to partially remove carbamate side chains, exhibit remarkable sensitivities of +1400% ppm-1 and +3844% ppm-1, and low detection limit (LOD) values of 514 ppb and 38.9 ppb toward NO2, respectively. These sensors also demonstrate excellent selectivity for NO2 over other gases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenner H L Ngai
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Waterloo Institute of Nanotechnology, (WIN), University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave West, Waterloo, N2L 3G1, Canada
- Security and Disruptive Technologies, National Research Council Canada, 1200 Montreal Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Zhao Li
- Security and Disruptive Technologies, National Research Council Canada, 1200 Montreal Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Jia Wang
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Jinghui He
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Jianfu Ding
- Security and Disruptive Technologies, National Research Council Canada, 1200 Montreal Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Yuning Li
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Waterloo Institute of Nanotechnology, (WIN), University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave West, Waterloo, N2L 3G1, Canada
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23
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Yuan H, Zhu C, Hou Y, Yang HG, Wang H. Optimizing the Lattice Nitrogen Coordination to Break the Performance Limitation of Metal Nitrides for Electrocatalytic Nitrogen Reduction. JACS AU 2024; 4:3038-3048. [PMID: 39211580 PMCID: PMC11350572 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.4c00377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2024] [Revised: 08/08/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Metal nitrides (MNs) are attracting enormous attention in the electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) because of their rich lattice nitrogen (Nlat) and the unique ability of Nlat vacancies to activate N2. However, continuing controversy exists on whether MNs are catalytically active for NRR or produce NH3 via the reductive decomposition of Nlat without N2 activation in the in situ electrochemical conditions, let alone the rational design of high-performance MN catalysts. Herein, we focus on the common rocksalt-type MN(100) catalysts and establish a quantitative theoretical framework based on the first-principles microkinetic simulations to resolve these puzzles. The results show that the Mars-van Krevelen mechanism is kinetically more favorable to drive the NRR on a majority of MNs, in which Nlat plays a pivotal role in achieving the Volmer process and N2 activation. In terms of stability, activity, and selectivity, we find that MN(100) with moderate formation energy of Nlat vacancy (E vac) can achieve maximum activity and maintain electrochemical stability, while low- or high-E vac ones are either unstable or catalytically less active. Unfortunately, owing to the five-coordinate structural feature of Nlat on rocksalt-type MN(100), this maximum activity is limited to a yield of NH3 of only ∼10-15 mol s-1 cm-2. Intriguingly, we identify a volcano-type activity-regulating role of the local structural features of Nlat and show that the four-coordinate Nlat can exhibit optimal activity and overcome the performance limitation, while less coordinated Nlat fails. This work provides, arguably for the first time, an in-depth theoretical insight into the activity and stability paradox of MNs for NRR and underlines the importance of reaction kinetic assessment in comparison with the prevailing simple thermodynamic analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyang Yuan
- Key
Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Shanghai
Engineering Research Center of Hierarchical Nanomaterials, School
of Materials Science and Engineering, East
China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Chen Zhu
- Key
Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Shanghai
Engineering Research Center of Hierarchical Nanomaterials, School
of Materials Science and Engineering, East
China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Yu Hou
- Key
Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Shanghai
Engineering Research Center of Hierarchical Nanomaterials, School
of Materials Science and Engineering, East
China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Hua Gui Yang
- Key
Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Shanghai
Engineering Research Center of Hierarchical Nanomaterials, School
of Materials Science and Engineering, East
China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Haifeng Wang
- State
Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering and Industrial Catalysis,
Center for Computational Chemistry and Research Institute of Industrial
Catalysis, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
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24
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Assafiri A, Jia C, Thomas DS, Hibbert DB, Zhao C. Fast and Sensitive Detection of Ammonia from Electrochemical Nitrogen Reduction Reactions by 1H NMR with Radiation Damping. SMALL METHODS 2024; 8:e2301373. [PMID: 38353380 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202301373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/18/2024]
Abstract
A facile NMR method is reported for analysis of ammonia from the electrochemical reduction of nitrogen, which compares a calibrated colorimetric method, a calibrated 1H NMR method and two 1H NMR direct measurements using external reference materials. Unlike spectrophotometric methods, 1H NMR requires less bench time and does not require separation of ammonia from the electrolyte. A novel approach to the problem of radiation damping in NMR measurements considered the specific role of hardware tuning. Radiation damping is suppressed improving signal-to-noise ratio and detection limit (1.5 µg L-1). The method is demonstrated to be effective for the analysis of ammonia from direct electrochemical nitrogen reduction in KOH, and from lithium-mediated nitrogen reduction in a non-aqueous solution. An uncertainty budget is prepared for the measurement of ammonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aya Assafiri
- School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, Australia
| | - Chen Jia
- School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, Australia
| | - Donald S Thomas
- NMR Facility, Mark Wainwright Analytical Center, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, Australia
| | - David B Hibbert
- School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, Australia
| | - Chuan Zhao
- School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, Australia
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25
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Babikir AH, Mao X, Du A, Riches JD, Ostrikov KK, O'Mullane AP. Electrochemical Nitrate-to-Ammonia Conversion Enabled by Carbon-Decoration of Ni─GaOOH Synthesized via Plasma-Assisted CO 2 Reduction. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2311302. [PMID: 38429242 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202311302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
The release of nitrates into the environment leads to contaminated soil and water that poses a health risk to humans and animals. Due to the transition to renewable energy-based technologies, an electrochemical approach is an emerging option that can selectively produce valuable ammonia from nitrate sources. However, traditional metal-based electrocatalysts often suffer from low nitrate adsorption that reduces NH3 production rates. Here, a Ni-GaOOH-C/Ga electrocatalyst for electrochemical nitrate conversion into NH3 is synthesized via a low energy atmospheric-pressure plasma process that reduces CO2 into highly dispersed activated carbon on dispersed Ni─GaOOH particles produced from a liquid metal Ga─Ni alloy precursor. Nitrate conversion rates of up to 26.3 µg h-1 mg-1 cat are achieved with good stability of up to 20 h. Critically, the presence of carbon centers is central to improved performance where both Ni─C and NiO─C interfaces act as NO3- adsorption and reduction centers during the reaction. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that the NiO─C and Ni─C reaction sites reduce the Gibbs free energy required for NO3- reduction to NH3 compared to NiO and Ni. Importantly, catalysts without carbon centers do not produce NH3, emphasizing the unique effects of incorporating carbon nanoparticles into the electrocatalyst.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abd H Babikir
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 2 George St, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
- Center for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 2 George St, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
| | - Xin Mao
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 2 George St, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
- Center for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 2 George St, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
| | - Aijun Du
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 2 George St, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
- Center for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 2 George St, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
| | - James D Riches
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 2 George St, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
- Center for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 2 George St, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
- Central Analytical Research Facility, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George St, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
| | - Kostya Ken Ostrikov
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 2 George St, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
- Center for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 2 George St, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
| | - Anthony P O'Mullane
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 2 George St, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
- Center for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 2 George St, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
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26
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Kalra P, Samolia M, Bashir AU, Avasare VD, Ingole PP. Engineered Electron-Deficient Sites at Boron-Doped Strontium Titanate/Electrolyte Interfaces Accelerate the Electrocatalytic Reduction of N 2 to NH 3: A Combined DFT and Experimental Electrocatalysis Study. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:37938-37951. [PMID: 39012060 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c05487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
The development of an efficient, selective, and durable catalysis system for the electrocatalytic N2 reduction reaction (ENRR) is a promising strategy for the sustainable production of ammonia. The high-performance ENRR is limited by two major challenges: poor adsorption of N2 over the catalyst surface and abysmal N2 solubility in aqueous electrolytes. Herein, with the help of our combined density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experimental electrocatalysis study, we demonstrate that concurrently induced electron-deficient Lewis acid sites in an electrocatalyst and in an electrolyte medium can significantly boost the ENRR performance. The DFT calculations, ex situ X-ray photoelectron and FTIR spectroscopy, electrochemical measurements, and N2-TPD (temperature-programmed desorption) over boron-doped strontium titanate (BSTO) samples reveal that the Lewis acid-base interactions of N2 synergistically enhance the adsorption and activation of N2. Besides, the B-dopant induces the defect sites (oxygen vacancies and Ti3+) that assist in enhanced N2 adsorption and results in suppressed hydrogen evolution due to B-induced electron-deficient sites for H+ adsorption. The insights from the DFT study evince that B prefers the Srtop position (on top of Sr) where N2 adsorbs in an end-on configuration, which favors the associative alternating pathway and suppresses the competitive hydrogen evolution. Thus, our combined experimental and DFT study demonstrates an insight toward enhancing the ENRR performance along with the suppressed hydrogen evolution via concurrently engineered electron-deficient sites at electrode and electrolyte interfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paras Kalra
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Madhu Samolia
- Department of Chemistry, Sir Parashurambhau College, Pune, Maharashtra 411030, India
| | - Aejaz Ul Bashir
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Vidya D Avasare
- Department of Chemistry, Sir Parashurambhau College, Pune, Maharashtra 411030, India
- Department of Chemistry, Ashoka University, Sonipat, Haryana 131029, India
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27
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Shen Z, Chen G, Cheng X, Xu F, Huang H, Wang X, Yang L, Wu Q, Hu Z. Self-enhanced localized alkalinity at the encapsulated Cu catalyst for superb electrocatalytic nitrate/nitrite reduction to NH 3 in neutral electrolyte. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadm9325. [PMID: 38985876 PMCID: PMC11235175 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adm9325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
The electrocatalytic nitrate/nitrite reduction reaction (eNOx-RR) to ammonia (NH3) is thermodynamically more favorable than the eye-catching nitrogen (N2) electroreduction. To date, the high eNOx-RR-to-NH3 activity is limited to strong alkaline electrolytes but cannot be achieved in economic and sustainable neutral/near-neutral electrolytes. Here, we construct a copper (Cu) catalyst encapsulated inside the hydrophilic hierarchical nitrogen-doped carbon nanocages (Cu@hNCNC). During eNOx-RR, the hNCNC shell hinders the diffusion of generated OH- ions outward, thus creating a self-enhanced local high pH environment around the inside Cu nanoparticles. Consequently, the Cu@hNCNC catalyst exhibits an excellent eNOx-RR-to-NH3 activity in the neutral electrolyte, equivalent to the Cu catalyst immobilized on the outer surface of hNCNC (Cu/hNCNC) in strong alkaline electrolyte, with much better stability for the former. The optimal NH3 yield rate reaches 4.0 moles per hour per gram with a high Faradaic efficiency of 99.7%. The strong-alkalinity-free advantage facilitates the practicability of Cu@hNCNC catalyst as demonstrated in a coupled plasma-driven N2 oxidization with eNOx-RR-to-NH3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Shen
- Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE and Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory for Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Guanghai Chen
- Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE and Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory for Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Xueyi Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE and Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory for Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Fengfei Xu
- Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE and Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory for Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Hongwen Huang
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, P. R. China
| | - Xizhang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE and Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory for Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Lijun Yang
- Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE and Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory for Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Qiang Wu
- Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE and Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory for Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Zheng Hu
- Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE and Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory for Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
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28
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Murphy E, Sun B, Rüscher M, Liu Y, Zang W, Guo S, Chen YH, Hejral U, Huang Y, Ly A, Zenyuk IV, Pan X, Timoshenko J, Cuenya BR, Spoerke ED, Atanassov P. Synergizing Fe 2O 3 Nanoparticles on Single Atom Fe-N-C for Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia at Industrial Current Densities. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2401133. [PMID: 38619914 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202401133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
The electrochemical reduction of nitrates (NO3 -) enables a pathway for the carbon neutral synthesis of ammonia (NH3), via the nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR), which has been demonstrated at high selectivity. However, to make NH3 synthesis cost-competitive with current technologies, high NH3 partial current densities (jNH3) must be achieved to reduce the levelized cost of NH3. Here, the high NO3RR activity of Fe-based materials is leveraged to synthesize a novel active particle-active support system with Fe2O3 nanoparticles supported on atomically dispersed Fe-N-C. The optimized 3×Fe2O3/Fe-N-C catalyst demonstrates an ultrahigh NO3RR activity, reaching a maximum jNH3 of 1.95 A cm-2 at a Faradaic efficiency (FE) for NH3 of 100% and an NH3 yield rate over 9 mmol hr-1 cm-2. Operando XANES and post-mortem XPS reveal the importance of a pre-reduction activation step, reducing the surface Fe2O3 (Fe3+) to highly active Fe0 sites, which are maintained during electrolysis. Durability studies demonstrate the robustness of both the Fe2O3 particles and Fe-Nx sites at highly cathodic potentials, maintaining a current of -1.3 A cm-2 over 24 hours. This work exhibits an effective and durable active particle-active support system enhancing the performance of the NO3RR, enabling industrially relevant current densities and near 100% selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eamonn Murphy
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National Fuel Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Baiyu Sun
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National Fuel Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Martina Rüscher
- Department of Interface Science, Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Yuanchao Liu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National Fuel Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Wenjie Zang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Shengyuan Guo
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National Fuel Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Yu-Han Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National Fuel Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Uta Hejral
- Department of Interface Science, Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ying Huang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Alvin Ly
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Iryna V Zenyuk
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National Fuel Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Xiaoqing Pan
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Janis Timoshenko
- Department of Interface Science, Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Beatriz Roldán Cuenya
- Department of Interface Science, Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Erik D Spoerke
- Sandia National Laboratories, Energy Storage Technologies & Systems, Albuquerque, NM, 87185, USA
| | - Plamen Atanassov
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National Fuel Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
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29
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Xiong Y, Wang Y, Zhou J, Liu F, Hao F, Fan Z. Electrochemical Nitrate Reduction: Ammonia Synthesis and the Beyond. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2304021. [PMID: 37294062 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202304021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 88.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Natural nitrogen cycle has been severely disrupted by anthropogenic activities. The overuse of N-containing fertilizers induces the increase of nitrate level in surface and ground waters, and substantial emission of nitrogen oxides causes heavy air pollution. Nitrogen gas, as the main component of air, has been used for mass ammonia production for over a century, providing enough nutrition for agriculture to support world population increase. In the last decade, researchers have made great efforts to develop ammonia processes under ambient conditions to combat the intensive energy consumption and high carbon emission associated with the Haber-Bosch process. Among different techniques, electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) can achieve nitrate removal and ammonia generation simultaneously using renewable electricity as the power, and there is an exponential growth of studies in this research direction. Here, a timely and comprehensive review on the important progresses of electrochemical NO3RR, covering the rational design of electrocatalysts, emerging CN coupling reactions, and advanced energy conversion and storage systems is provided. Moreover, future perspectives are proposed to accelerate the industrialized NH3 production and green synthesis of chemicals, leading to a sustainable nitrogen cycle via prosperous N-based electrochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuecheng Xiong
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
- Hong Kong Branch of National Precious Metals Material Engineering Research Center (NPMM), City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Yunhao Wang
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Jingwen Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
- Hong Kong Branch of National Precious Metals Material Engineering Research Center (NPMM), City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Fu Liu
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Fengkun Hao
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Zhanxi Fan
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
- Hong Kong Branch of National Precious Metals Material Engineering Research Center (NPMM), City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
- City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518057, P. R. China
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30
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Fu X, Xu A, Pedersen JB, Li S, Sažinas R, Zhou Y, Andersen SZ, Saccoccio M, Deissler NH, Mygind JBV, Kibsgaard J, Vesborg PCK, Nørskov JK, Chorkendorff I. Phenol as proton shuttle and buffer for lithium-mediated ammonia electrosynthesis. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2417. [PMID: 38499554 PMCID: PMC10948763 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46803-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Ammonia is a crucial component in the production of fertilizers and various nitrogen-based compounds. Now, the lithium-mediated nitrogen reduction reaction (Li-NRR) has emerged as a promising approach for ammonia synthesis at ambient conditions. The proton shuttle plays a critical role in the proton transfer process during Li-NRR. However, the structure-activity relationship and design principles for effective proton shuttles have not yet been established in practical Li-NRR systems. Here, we propose a general procedure for verifying a true proton shuttle and established design principles for effective proton shuttles. We systematically evaluate several classes of proton shuttles in a continuous-flow reactor with hydrogen oxidation at the anode. Among the tested proton shuttles, phenol exhibits the highest Faradaic efficiency of 72 ± 3% towards ammonia, surpassing that of ethanol, which has been commonly used so far. Experimental investigations including operando isotope-labelled mass spectrometry proved the proton-shuttling capability of phenol. Further mass transport modeling sheds light on the mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianbiao Fu
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Aoni Xu
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jakob B Pedersen
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Shaofeng Li
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Rokas Sažinas
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Yuanyuan Zhou
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Suzanne Z Andersen
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Mattia Saccoccio
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Niklas H Deissler
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - Jakob Kibsgaard
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Peter C K Vesborg
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jens K Nørskov
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Ib Chorkendorff
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
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31
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Yang M, Bao W, Zhang J, Ai T, Han J, Li Y, Liu J, Zhang P, Feng L. Molybdenum/selenium based heterostructure catalyst for efficient hydrogen evolution: Effects of ionic dissolution and repolymerization on catalytic performance. J Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 658:32-42. [PMID: 38091796 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.12.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Transition metal chalcogenides (TMCs) are recognized as highly efficient electrocatalysts and have wide applications in the field of hydrogen production by electrolysis of water, but the real catalytic substances and catalytic processes of these catalysts are not clear. The species evolution of Mo and Se during alkaline hydrogen evolution was investigated by constructing MoSe2@CoSe2 heterostructure. The real-time evolution of Mo and Se in MoSe2@CoSe2 was monitored using in situ Raman spectroscopy to determine the origin of the activity. Mo and Se in MoSe2@CoSe2 were dissolved in the form of MoO42- and SeO32-, respectively, and subsequently re-adsorbed and polymerized on the electrode surface to form new species Mo2O72- and SeO42-. Theoretical calculations show that adsorption of Mo2O72- and SeO42- can significantly enhance the HER catalytic activity of Co(OH)2. The addition of additional MoO42- and SeO32- to the electrolyte with Co(OH)2 electrodes both enhances its HER activity and promotes its durability. This study helps to deepen our insight into mechanisms involved in the structural changes of catalyst surfaces and offers a logical basis for revealing the mechanism of the influence of species evolution on catalytic performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mameng Yang
- National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Slag Comprehensive Utilization and Environmental Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong 723000, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Weiwei Bao
- National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Slag Comprehensive Utilization and Environmental Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong 723000, Shaanxi, PR China.
| | - Junjun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of High-efficiency Utilization of Coal and Green Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, Ningxia, PR China.
| | - Taotao Ai
- National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Slag Comprehensive Utilization and Environmental Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong 723000, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Jie Han
- National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Slag Comprehensive Utilization and Environmental Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong 723000, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Yan Li
- National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Slag Comprehensive Utilization and Environmental Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong 723000, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Jiangying Liu
- National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Slag Comprehensive Utilization and Environmental Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong 723000, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Pengfei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of High-efficiency Utilization of Coal and Green Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, Ningxia, PR China; School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, PR China
| | - Liangliang Feng
- School of Materials Science & Engineering, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Green Preparation and Functionalization for Inorganic Materials, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xi'an 710021, Shaanxi, PR China.
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32
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Ren Y, Li S, Yu C, Zheng Y, Wang C, Qian B, Wang L, Fang W, Sun Y, Qiu J. NH 3 Electrosynthesis from N 2 Molecules: Progresses, Challenges, and Future Perspectives. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:6409-6421. [PMID: 38412558 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c11676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Green ammonia (NH3), made by using renewable electricity to split nearly limitless nitrogen (N2) molecules, is a vital platform molecule and an ideal fuel to drive the sustainable development of human society without carbon dioxide emission. The NH3 electrosynthesis field currently faces the dilemma of low yield rate and efficiency; however, decoupling the overlapping issues of this area and providing guidelines for its development directions are not trivial because it involves complex reaction process and multidisciplinary entries (for example, electrochemistry, catalysis, interfaces, processes, etc.). In this Perspective, we introduce a classification scheme for NH3 electrosynthesis based on the reaction process, namely, direct (N2 reduction reaction) and indirect electrosynthesis (Li-mediated/plasma-enabled NH3 electrosynthesis). This categorization allows us to finely decouple the complicated reaction pathways and identify the specific rate-determining steps/bottleneck issues for each synthesis approach such as N2 activation, H2 evolution side reaction, solid-electrolyte interphase engineering, plasma process, etc. We then present a detailed overview of the latest progresses on solving these core issues in terms of the whole electrochemical system covering the electrocatalysts, electrodes, electrolytes, electrolyzers, etc. Finally, we discuss the research focuses and the promising strategies for the development of NH3 electrosynthesis in the future with a multiscale perspective of atomistic mechanisms, nanoscale electrocatalysts, microscale electrodes/interfaces, and macroscale electrolyzers/processes. It is expected that this Perspective will provide the readers with an in-depth understanding of the bottleneck issues and insightful guidance on designing the efficient NH3 electrosynthesis systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongwen Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Liaoning Key Lab for Energy Materials and Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Shaofeng Li
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby 2800, Denmark
| | - Chang Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Liaoning Key Lab for Energy Materials and Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Yihan Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Liaoning Key Lab for Energy Materials and Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Cheng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Liaoning Key Lab for Energy Materials and Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Bingzhi Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Liaoning Key Lab for Energy Materials and Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Linshan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Liaoning Key Lab for Energy Materials and Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Wenhui Fang
- College of Chemical Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Ying Sun
- Institute of Clean Energy Chemistry, Key Laboratory for Green Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry of Advanced Materials of Liaoning Province, College of Chemistry, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, China
| | - Jieshan Qiu
- College of Chemical Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
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33
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Hai Y, Li X, Cao Y, Wang X, Meng L, Yang Y, Luo M. Ammonia Synthesis via Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction Using NiCoO 2 Nanoarrays on a Copper Foam. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:11431-11439. [PMID: 38382004 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c16456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Ammonia (NH3) plays a vital role in industrial and agricultural development. The electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (eNO3RR) is an effective method to produce NH3 under environmental conditions but also requires considerably active and selective electrocatalysts. Herein, a copper foam was used as a conductive substrate for the electrode materials. Specifically, a Co metal-organic framework (Co-MOF) was in situ grown on the copper foam, etched, and calcined to form NiCoO2@Cu nanosheets, which were used as cathode electrodes for the eNO3RR. In 0.1 M Na2SO4 with 0.1 M NaNO3 electrolyte, NiCoO2@Cu nanosheets realized an NH3 yield of 5940.73 μg h-1 cm-2 at -0.9 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), with a Faradaic efficiency of 94.2% at -0.7 V vs RHE. After 33 h of the catalytic reaction, the selectivity of NH3-N increased to 99.7%. The excellent electrocatalytic performance of NiCoO2@Cu nanosheets was attributed to the apparent synergistic effect between the Ni atoms and the Co atoms of bimetallic materials. This study shows that the Ni doping of NiCoO2@Cu nanosheets effectively facilitated the adsorption of NO3- on NiCoO2@Cu, and it promoted the eNO3RR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Hai
- State Key Laboratory of High-efficiency Utilization of Coal and Green Chemical Engineering, School of chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, PR China
| | - Xiaoman Li
- State Key Laboratory of High-efficiency Utilization of Coal and Green Chemical Engineering, School of chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, PR China
| | - Yue Cao
- State Key Laboratory of High-efficiency Utilization of Coal and Green Chemical Engineering, School of chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, PR China
| | - Xinyan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of High-efficiency Utilization of Coal and Green Chemical Engineering, School of chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, PR China
| | - Linghu Meng
- State Key Laboratory of High-efficiency Utilization of Coal and Green Chemical Engineering, School of chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, PR China
| | - Yang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of High-efficiency Utilization of Coal and Green Chemical Engineering, School of chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, PR China
| | - Min Luo
- State Key Laboratory of High-efficiency Utilization of Coal and Green Chemical Engineering, School of chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, PR China
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34
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Kong Y, Li X, Puente Santiago AR, He T. Nonmetal Atom Doping Induced Orbital Shifts and Charge Modulation at the Edge of Two-Dimensional Boron Carbonitride Leading to Enhanced Photocatalytic Nitrogen Reduction. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:5987-5997. [PMID: 38381029 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c12780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Electronic structure, particularly charge state analysis, plays a crucial role in comprehending catalytic mechanisms. This study focuses on metal-free boron carbonitride (BCN) nanosheets as a case study to investigate the impact of heteroatom doping on the charge state of active sites at the edge of two-dimensional (2D) metal-free nanomaterials. Our observations revealed that the doping induces a shift in the frontier py orbital near the Fermi level, accompanied by alterations in its charge state. These changes provide insights into the nitrogen adsorption descriptors and the critical hydrogenation step, ultimately leading to the proposal of a competitive charge transfer mechanism. Additionally, this exploration has led to the screening of five BCN-type structures (P@T1-C1, S@T1-B1, O@T1-B1, P@T1-B1C2, and P@T1-B1C3) with promising nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) performances. The BCN structure (S@T1-B1) exhibited the lowest NRR overpotential reaching -0.2 V, which is associated with the proposed charge competition mechanism. Furthermore, the investigation delves into the key step hydrogenation mechanism, descriptors, and volcano diagrams of the conformational relationships. In addition, the proposed doping strategy endows the 2D-BCN with more sensitivity toward the solar spectrum, suggesting its application as a potential photocatalyst. Overall, this study establishes a strong foundation for the advancement of nonmetal-atom-doped BCN nanosheets in nitrogen reduction applications, while also providing a versatile framework for fine-tuning edge-site activity within the broader context of two-dimensional photo/electrocatalytic materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youchao Kong
- Department of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng 224002, China
| | - Xiaoshuang Li
- School of Applied Physics and Materials, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, China
| | - Alain R Puente Santiago
- Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Tianwei He
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Micro/Nano Materials & Technology, National Center for International Research on Photoelectric and Energy Materials, School of Materials and Energy, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
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35
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Samui S, Dey RS. Lewis Acid Mediated Alteration of Electron Density on a Copper Site via pπ-dπ Mixing Enhances the Electrochemical Nitrogen Reduction Reaction. J Phys Chem Lett 2024; 15:2152-2159. [PMID: 38364082 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.4c00233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Strategic modulation of the electronic structure of the catalyst to foster the electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (eNRR) to the ammonia process significantly is still an area that needs to be explored. Herein, we report the incorporation of the Lewis acid into an electron-rich copper site regulating the electron density of the metal, which has been experimentally proved from the d-band center position to have a direct influence on the adsorption of N2 compared to the protons. The catalyst boron doped copper-cuprous oxide hybrid system (B-Cu/Cu2O) has shown promising Faradaic efficiency of 32% at -0.2 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) compared to the pristine cuprous oxide (Cu2O(N)) system. The in situ Fourier transform infrared study confirms the presence of intermediates evolved during the electroreduction process. This study demonstrates the design of the active center with a specific push-pull interaction via the pπ-dπ bonding-antibonding approach and can shed light on the electrochemical activation and reduction of dinitrogen to produce ammonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surajit Samui
- Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Sector-81, Mohali-140306, Punjab, India
| | - Ramendra Sundar Dey
- Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Sector-81, Mohali-140306, Punjab, India
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36
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Zhang H, Yang G, Li X, Wang Y, Deng K, Yu H, Wang H, Wang Z, Wang L. Interstitial Boron-Modulated Porous Pd Nanotubes for Ammonia Electrosynthesis. Inorg Chem 2024; 63:3099-3106. [PMID: 38299496 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c04051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Electrochemical conversion of nitrogen into ammonia at ambient conditions as a sustainable approach has gained significant attention, but it is still extremely challenging to simultaneously obtain a high faradaic efficiency (FE) and NH3 yield. In this work, the interstitial boron-doped porous Pd nanotubes (B-Pd PNTs) are constructed by combining the self-template reduction method with boron doping. Benefiting from distinctive one-dimensional porous nanotube architectonics and the incorporation of the interstitial B atoms, the resulting B-Pd PNTs exhibit high NH3 yield (18.36 μg h-1 mgcat.-1) and FE (21.95%) in neutral conditions, outperforming the Pd/PdO PNTs (10.4 μg h-1 mgcat.-1 and 8.47%). The present study provides an attractive method to enhance the efficiency of the electroreduction of nitrogen into ammonia by incorporating interstitial boron into porous Pd-based catalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green-Chemical Synthesis Technology, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China
| | - Guanghui Yang
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green-Chemical Synthesis Technology, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China
| | - Xinmiao Li
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green-Chemical Synthesis Technology, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China
| | - Yile Wang
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green-Chemical Synthesis Technology, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China
| | - Kai Deng
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green-Chemical Synthesis Technology, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China
| | - Hongjie Yu
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green-Chemical Synthesis Technology, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China
| | - Hongjing Wang
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green-Chemical Synthesis Technology, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China
| | - Ziqiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green-Chemical Synthesis Technology, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China
| | - Liang Wang
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green-Chemical Synthesis Technology, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China
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37
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Fu X, Niemann VA, Zhou Y, Li S, Zhang K, Pedersen JB, Saccoccio M, Andersen SZ, Enemark-Rasmussen K, Benedek P, Xu A, Deissler NH, Mygind JBV, Nielander AC, Kibsgaard J, Vesborg PCK, Nørskov JK, Jaramillo TF, Chorkendorff I. Calcium-mediated nitrogen reduction for electrochemical ammonia synthesis. NATURE MATERIALS 2024; 23:101-107. [PMID: 37884670 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-023-01702-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Ammonia (NH3) is a key commodity chemical for the agricultural, textile and pharmaceutical industries, but its production via the Haber-Bosch process is carbon-intensive and centralized. Alternatively, an electrochemical method could enable decentralized, ambient NH3 production that can be paired with renewable energy. The first verified electrochemical method for NH3 synthesis was a process mediated by lithium (Li) in organic electrolytes. So far, however, elements other than Li remain unexplored in this process for potential benefits in efficiency, reaction rates, device design, abundance and stability. In our demonstration of a Li-free system, we found that calcium can mediate the reduction of nitrogen for NH3 synthesis. We verified the calcium-mediated process using a rigorous protocol and achieved an NH3 Faradaic efficiency of 40 ± 2% using calcium tetrakis(hexafluoroisopropyloxy)borate (Ca[B(hfip)4]2) as the electrolyte. Our results offer the possibility of using abundant materials for the electrochemical production of NH3, a critical chemical precursor and promising energy vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianbiao Fu
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Valerie A Niemann
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Yuanyuan Zhou
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Shaofeng Li
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ke Zhang
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jakob B Pedersen
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Mattia Saccoccio
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Suzanne Z Andersen
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - Peter Benedek
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Aoni Xu
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Niklas H Deissler
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - Adam C Nielander
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Jakob Kibsgaard
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Peter C K Vesborg
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jens K Nørskov
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Thomas F Jaramillo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA.
| | - Ib Chorkendorff
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
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38
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Xu G, Wang T. Fewer false positives in electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction by synergizing theory and experiment. NATURE COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE 2023; 3:994-997. [PMID: 38177721 DOI: 10.1038/s43588-023-00556-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Gaomou Xu
- Center of Artificial Photosynthesis for Solar Fuels and Department of Chemistry, School of Science and Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Natural Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Center of Artificial Photosynthesis for Solar Fuels and Department of Chemistry, School of Science and Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China.
- Institute of Natural Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China.
- Division of Solar Energy Conversion and Catalysis at Westlake University, Zhejiang Baima Lake Laboratory, Hangzhou, China.
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39
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Tranchida G, Milazzo RG, Leonardi M, Scalese S, Farina RA, Lombardo S, Privitera SMS. Ultra-Low Loading of Gold on Nickel Foam for Nitrogen Electrochemistry. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:2850. [PMID: 37947695 PMCID: PMC10647533 DOI: 10.3390/nano13212850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Ammonia (NH3) is widely used in various fields, and it is also considered a promising carbon free energy carrier, due to its high hydrogen content. The nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR), which converts nitrogen into ammonia by using protons from water as the hydrogen source, is receiving a lot of attention, since effective process optimization would make it possible to overcome the Haber-Bosch method. In this study, we used a solution-based approach to obtain functionalized porous Ni foam substrates with a small amount of gold (<0.1 mg cm-1). We investigated several deposition conditions and obtained different morphologies. The electrochemical performance of various catalysts on the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and NRR has been characterized. The ammonia production yield was determined by chronoamperometry experiments at several potentials, and the results showed a maximum ammonia yield rate of 20 µg h-1 mgcat-1 and a Faradaic efficiency of 5.22%. This study demonstrates the potential of gold-based catalysts for sustainable ammonia production and highlights the importance of optimizing deposition conditions to improve the selectivity toward HER.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Tranchida
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania, Viale Andrea Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
- Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems, National Research Council (CNR-IMM), Strada VIII, 5, 95121 Catania, Italy
| | - Rachela G. Milazzo
- Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems, National Research Council (CNR-IMM), Strada VIII, 5, 95121 Catania, Italy
| | - Marco Leonardi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania, Viale Andrea Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
- Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems, National Research Council (CNR-IMM), Strada VIII, 5, 95121 Catania, Italy
| | - Silvia Scalese
- Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems, National Research Council (CNR-IMM), Strada VIII, 5, 95121 Catania, Italy
| | - Roberta A. Farina
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania, Viale Andrea Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
- Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems, National Research Council (CNR-IMM), Strada VIII, 5, 95121 Catania, Italy
| | - Salvatore Lombardo
- Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems, National Research Council (CNR-IMM), Strada VIII, 5, 95121 Catania, Italy
| | - Stefania M. S. Privitera
- Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems, National Research Council (CNR-IMM), Strada VIII, 5, 95121 Catania, Italy
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40
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Tzaguy A, Masip-Sánchez A, Avram L, Solé-Daura A, López X, Poblet JM, Neumann R. Electrocatalytic Reduction of Dinitrogen to Ammonia with Water as Proton and Electron Donor Catalyzed by a Combination of a Tri-ironoxotungstate and an Alkali Metal Cation. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:19912-19924. [PMID: 37642197 PMCID: PMC10510311 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c06167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
The electrification of ammonia synthesis is a key target for its decentralization and lowering impact on atmospheric CO2 concentrations. The lithium metal electrochemical reduction of nitrogen to ammonia using alcohols as proton/electron donors is an important advance, but requires rather negative potentials, and anhydrous conditions. Organometallic electrocatalysts using redox mediators have also been reported. Water as a proton and electron donor has not been demonstrated in these reactions. Here a N2 to NH3 electrocatalytic reduction using an inorganic molecular catalyst, a tri-iron substituted polyoxotungstate, {SiFe3W9}, is presented. The catalyst requires the presence of Li+ or Na+ cations as promoters through their binding to {SiFe3W9}. Experimental NMR, CV and UV-vis measurements, and MD simulations and DFT calculations show that the alkali metal cation enables the decrease of the redox potential of {SiFe3W9} allowing the activation of N2. Controlled potential electrolysis with highly purified 14N2 and 15N2 ruled out formation of NH3 from contaminants. Importantly, using Na+ cations and polyethylene glycol as solvent, the anodic oxidation of water can be used as a proton and electron donor for the formation of NH3. In an undivided cell electrolyzer under 1 bar N2, rates of NH3 formation of 1.15 nmol sec-1 cm-2, faradaic efficiencies of ∼25%, 5.1 equiv of NH3 per equivalent of {SiFe3W9} in 10 h, and a TOF of 64 s-1 were obtained. The future development of suitable high surface area cathodes and well solubilized N2 and the use of H2O as the reducing agent are important keys to the future deployment of an electrocatalytic ammonia synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avra Tzaguy
- Department
of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel 76100
| | - Albert Masip-Sánchez
- Department
de Química Física i Inorgànica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona 43007, Spain
| | - Liat Avram
- Department
of Chemical Research Support, Weizmann Institute
of Science, Rehovot, Israel 76100
| | - Albert Solé-Daura
- Department
de Química Física i Inorgànica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona 43007, Spain
| | - Xavier López
- Department
de Química Física i Inorgànica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona 43007, Spain
| | - Josep M. Poblet
- Department
de Química Física i Inorgànica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona 43007, Spain
| | - Ronny Neumann
- Department
of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel 76100
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41
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Cheng Q, Wang M, Liu S, Zhang L, Ji H, He Y, Li N, Qian T, Yan C, Lu J. Eliminating Concentration Polarization with Cationic Covalent Organic Polymer to Promote Effective Overpotential of Nitrogen Fixation. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202308262. [PMID: 37442810 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202308262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction offers a sustainable alternative to the conventional Haber-Bosch process. However, it is currently restricted by low effective overpotential due to the concentration polarization, which arises from accumulated products, ammonium, at the reaction interface. Here, a novel covalent organic polymer with ordered periodic cationic sites is proposed to tackle this challenge. The whole network exhibits strong positive charge and effectively repels the positively charged ammonium, enabling an ultra-low interfacial product concentration, and successfully driving the reaction equilibrium to the forward direction. With the given potential unchanged, the suppressed overpotential can be much liberated, ultimately leading to a continuous high-level reaction rate. As expected, when this tailored microenvironment is coupled with a transition metal-based catalyst, a 24-fold improvement is generated in the Faradaic efficiency (73.74 %) as compared with the bare one. The proposed strategy underscores the importance of optimizing dynamic processes as a means of improving overall performance in electrochemical syntheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiyang Cheng
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, College of Energy, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China
| | - Mengfan Wang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, College of Energy, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China
| | - Sisi Liu
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, College of Energy, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China
| | - Lifang Zhang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nantong University, Nantong, 226019, China
| | - Haoqing Ji
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, College of Energy, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China
| | - Yanzheng He
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, College of Energy, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China
| | - Najun Li
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and materials science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China
| | - Tao Qian
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nantong University, Nantong, 226019, China
| | - Chenglin Yan
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, College of Energy, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China
| | - Jianmei Lu
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and materials science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China
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42
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Xu L, Mavrikakis M. Adsorbate-Induced Adatom Formation on Lithium, Iron, Cobalt, Ruthenium, and Rhenium Surfaces. JACS AU 2023; 3:2216-2225. [PMID: 37654598 PMCID: PMC10466328 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.3c00256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Recent experimental and theoretical studies have demonstrated the reaction-driven metal-metal bond breaking in metal catalytic surfaces even under relatively mild conditions. Here, we construct a density functional theory (DFT) database for the adsorbate-induced adatom formation energy on the close-packed facets of three hexagonal close-packed metals (Co, Ru, and Re) and two body-centered cubic metals (Li and Fe), where the source of the ejected metal atom is either a step edge or a close-packed surface. For Co and Ru, we also considered their metastable face-centered cubic structures. We studied 18 different adsorbates relevant to catalytic processes and predicted noticeably easier adatom formation on Li and Fe compared to the other three metals. The NH3- and CO-induced adatom formation on Fe(110) is possible at room temperature, a result relevant to NH3 synthesis and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, respectively. There also exist other systems with favorable adsorbate effects for adatom formation relevant to catalytic processes at elevated temperatures (500-700 K). Our results offer insight into the reaction-driven formation of metal clusters, which could play the role of active sites in reactions catalyzed by Li, Fe, Co, Ru, and Re catalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lang Xu
- Department of Chemical &
Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Manos Mavrikakis
- Department of Chemical &
Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
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43
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Izelaar B, Ripepi D, van Noordenne DD, Jungbacker P, Kortlever R, Mulder FM. Identification, Quantification, and Elimination of NO x and NH 3 Impurities for Aqueous and Li-Mediated Nitrogen Reduction Experiments. ACS ENERGY LETTERS 2023; 8:3614-3620. [PMID: 37588017 PMCID: PMC10425974 DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.3c01130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Boaz Izelaar
- Large
Scale Energy Storage, Process and Energy Department, Faculty of Mechanical,
Maritime and Materials Engineering, Delft
University of Technology, 2628 CB Delft, The
Netherlands
| | - Davide Ripepi
- Materials
for Energy Conversion and Storage, Chemical Engineering Department,
Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University
of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, The
Netherlands
| | - Dylan D. van Noordenne
- Materials
for Energy Conversion and Storage, Chemical Engineering Department,
Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University
of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, The
Netherlands
| | - Peter Jungbacker
- Materials
for Energy Conversion and Storage, Chemical Engineering Department,
Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University
of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, The
Netherlands
| | - Ruud Kortlever
- Large
Scale Energy Storage, Process and Energy Department, Faculty of Mechanical,
Maritime and Materials Engineering, Delft
University of Technology, 2628 CB Delft, The
Netherlands
| | - Fokko M. Mulder
- Materials
for Energy Conversion and Storage, Chemical Engineering Department,
Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University
of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, The
Netherlands
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44
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Jin H, Kim SS, Venkateshalu S, Lee J, Lee K, Jin K. Electrochemical Nitrogen Fixation for Green Ammonia: Recent Progress and Challenges. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2300951. [PMID: 37289104 PMCID: PMC10427382 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202300951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Ammonia, a key feedstock used in various industries, has been considered a sustainable fuel and energy storage option. However, NH3 production via the conventional Haber-Bosch process is costly, energy-intensive, and significantly contributing to a massive carbon footprint. An electrochemical synthetic pathway for nitrogen fixation has recently gained considerable attention as NH3 can be produced through a green process without generating harmful pollutants. This review discusses the recent progress and challenges associated with the two relevant electrochemical pathways: direct and indirect nitrogen reduction reactions. The detailed mechanisms of these reactions and highlight the recent efforts to improve the catalytic performances are discussed. Finally, various promising research strategies and remaining tasks are presented to highlight future opportunities in the electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haneul Jin
- Department of Energy and Materials EngineeringDongguk University‐SeoulSeoul04620Republic of Korea
| | - Suyeon S. Kim
- Department of Chemistry and Research Institute of Natural ScienceKorea UniversitySeoul02841Republic of Korea
| | - Sandhya Venkateshalu
- Department of Chemistry and Research Institute of Natural ScienceKorea UniversitySeoul02841Republic of Korea
| | - Jeseok Lee
- Department of Chemistry and Research Institute of Natural ScienceKorea UniversitySeoul02841Republic of Korea
| | - Kwangyeol Lee
- Department of Chemistry and Research Institute of Natural ScienceKorea UniversitySeoul02841Republic of Korea
| | - Kyoungsuk Jin
- Department of Chemistry and Research Institute of Natural ScienceKorea UniversitySeoul02841Republic of Korea
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45
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Murphy E, Liu Y, Matanovic I, Rüscher M, Huang Y, Ly A, Guo S, Zang W, Yan X, Martini A, Timoshenko J, Cuenya BR, Zenyuk IV, Pan X, Spoerke ED, Atanassov P. Elucidating electrochemical nitrate and nitrite reduction over atomically-dispersed transition metal sites. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4554. [PMID: 37507382 PMCID: PMC10382506 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40174-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Electrocatalytic reduction of waste nitrates (NO3-) enables the synthesis of ammonia (NH3) in a carbon neutral and decentralized manner. Atomically dispersed metal-nitrogen-carbon (M-N-C) catalysts demonstrate a high catalytic activity and uniquely favor mono-nitrogen products. However, the reaction fundamentals remain largely underexplored. Herein, we report a set of 14; 3d-, 4d-, 5d- and f-block M-N-C catalysts. The selectivity and activity of NO3- reduction to NH3 in neutral media, with a specific focus on deciphering the role of the NO2- intermediate in the reaction cascade, reveals strong correlations (R=0.9) between the NO2- reduction activity and NO3- reduction selectivity for NH3. Moreover, theoretical computations reveal the associative/dissociative adsorption pathways for NO2- evolution, over the normal M-N4 sites and their oxo-form (O-M-N4) for oxyphilic metals. This work provides a platform for designing multi-element NO3RR cascades with single-atom sites or their hybridization with extended catalytic surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eamonn Murphy
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Yuanchao Liu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Ivana Matanovic
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
- Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA
| | - Martina Rüscher
- Department of Interface Science, Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, 4-6 Faradayweg, Berlin, 14195, Germany
| | - Ying Huang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Alvin Ly
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Shengyuan Guo
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Wenjie Zang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Xingxu Yan
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Andrea Martini
- Department of Interface Science, Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, 4-6 Faradayweg, Berlin, 14195, Germany
| | - Janis Timoshenko
- Department of Interface Science, Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, 4-6 Faradayweg, Berlin, 14195, Germany
| | - Beatriz Roldán Cuenya
- Department of Interface Science, Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, 4-6 Faradayweg, Berlin, 14195, Germany
| | - Iryna V Zenyuk
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Xiaoqing Pan
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Erik D Spoerke
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, 87185, USA
| | - Plamen Atanassov
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
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46
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Adalder A, Paul S, Ghorai B, Kapse S, Thapa R, Nagendra A, Ghorai UK. Selective Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Nitrogen to Nitric Acid Using Manganese Phthalocyanine. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023. [PMID: 37449852 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c01847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Ammonia is produced through the energy-intensive Haber-Bosch process, which undergoes catalytic oxidation for the production of commercial nitric acid by the senescent Ostwald process. The two energy-intensive industrial processes demand for process sustainability. Hence, single-step electrocatalysis offers a promising approach toward a more environmentally friendly solution. Herein, we report a 10-electron pathway associated one-step electrochemical dinitrogen oxidation reaction (N2OR) to nitric acid by manganese phthalocyanine (MnPc) hollow nano-structures under ambient conditions. The catalyst delivers a nitric acid yield of 513.2 μmol h-1 gcat-1 with 33.9% Faradaic efficiency @ 2.1 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode. The excellent N2OR performances are achieved due to the specific-selectivity, presence of greater number of exposed active sites, recyclability, and long period stability. The extended X-ray absorption fine structure confirms that Mn atoms are coordinated to the pyrrolic and pyridinic nitrogen via Mn-N4 coordination. Density functional theory-based theoretical calculations confirm that the Mn-N4 site of MnPc is the main active center for N2OR, which suppresses the oxygen evolution reaction. This work provides a new arena about the successful example of one step nitric acid production utilizing a Mn-N4 active site-based metal phthalocyanine electrocatalyst by dinitrogen oxidation for the development of a carbon-neutral sustainable society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashadul Adalder
- Department of Industrial Chemistry & Applied Chemistry, Swami Vivekananda Research Centre, Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira, Belur Math, Howrah 711202, India
| | - Sourav Paul
- Department of Industrial Chemistry & Applied Chemistry, Swami Vivekananda Research Centre, Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira, Belur Math, Howrah 711202, India
| | - Biswajit Ghorai
- Department of Industrial Chemistry & Applied Chemistry, Swami Vivekananda Research Centre, Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira, Belur Math, Howrah 711202, India
| | - Samadhan Kapse
- Department of Physics, SRM University─AP, Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh 522240, India
| | - Ranjit Thapa
- Department of Physics, SRM University─AP, Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh 522240, India
| | - Abharana Nagendra
- Atomic & Molecular Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085, India
| | - Uttam Kumar Ghorai
- Department of Industrial Chemistry & Applied Chemistry, Swami Vivekananda Research Centre, Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira, Belur Math, Howrah 711202, India
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47
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Westhead O, Spry M, Bagger A, Shen Z, Yadegari H, Favero S, Tort R, Titirici M, Ryan MP, Jervis R, Katayama Y, Aguadero A, Regoutz A, Grimaud A, Stephens IEL. The role of ion solvation in lithium mediated nitrogen reduction. JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY. A 2023; 11:12746-12758. [PMID: 37346742 PMCID: PMC10281334 DOI: 10.1039/d2ta07686a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Since its verification in 2019, there have been numerous high-profile papers reporting improved efficiency of lithium-mediated electrochemical nitrogen reduction to make ammonia. However, the literature lacks any coherent investigation systematically linking bulk electrolyte properties to electrochemical performance and Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI) properties. In this study, we discover that the salt concentration has a remarkable effect on electrolyte stability: at concentrations of 0.6 M LiClO4 and above the electrode potential is stable for at least 12 hours at an applied current density of -2 mA cm-2 at ambient temperature and pressure. Conversely, at the lower concentrations explored in prior studies, the potential required to maintain a given N2 reduction current increased by 8 V within a period of 1 hour under the same conditions. The behaviour is linked more coordination of the salt anion and cation with increasing salt concentration in the electrolyte observed via Raman spectroscopy. Time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveal a more inorganic, and therefore more stable, SEI layer is formed with increasing salt concentration. A drop in faradaic efficiency for nitrogen reduction is seen at concentrations higher than 0.6 M LiClO4, which is attributed to a combination of a decrease in nitrogen solubility and diffusivity as well as increased SEI conductivity as measured by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Westhead
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London UK
- Solid-State Chemistry and Energy Laboratory, UMR8260, CNRS, Collège de France France
| | - M Spry
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London UK
| | - A Bagger
- Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen Denmark
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London UK
| | - Z Shen
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London UK
| | - H Yadegari
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London UK
| | - S Favero
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London UK
| | - R Tort
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London UK
| | - M Titirici
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London UK
- The Faraday Institution, Quad One, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus Didcot OX11 0RA UK
| | - M P Ryan
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London UK
- The Faraday Institution, Quad One, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus Didcot OX11 0RA UK
| | - R Jervis
- The Faraday Institution, Quad One, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus Didcot OX11 0RA UK
- Eletrochemical Innovation Lab, Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London UK
| | | | - A Aguadero
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London UK
- The Faraday Institution, Quad One, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus Didcot OX11 0RA UK
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid ICMM-CSIC Spain
| | - A Regoutz
- Department of Chemistry, University College London UK
| | - A Grimaud
- Solid-State Chemistry and Energy Laboratory, UMR8260, CNRS, Collège de France France
- Réseau sur le Stockage Electrochimique de l'Energie (RS2E), CNRS FR 3459 80039 Amiens Cedex 1 France
- Department of Chemistry, Merkert Chemistry Center, Boston College Chestnut Hill MA USA
| | - I E L Stephens
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London UK
- The Faraday Institution, Quad One, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus Didcot OX11 0RA UK
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48
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Qi Y, Zhao S, Pang Y, Yang Y. Hydrophobic Nanoporous Silver with ZIF Encapsulation for Nitrogen Reduction Electrocatalysis. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28062781. [PMID: 36985753 PMCID: PMC10051616 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28062781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (ENRR) offers a sustainable alternative to the environmentally hazardous Haber-Bosch process for producing ammonia. However, it suffers from an unsatisfactory performance due to its limited active sites and competitive hydrogen evolution reaction. Herein, we design a hydrophobic oleylamine-modified zeolitic imidazolate framework-coated nanoporous silver composite structure (NPS@O-ZIF). The composite achieves a high ammonia yield of (41.3 ± 0.9) μg·h-1·cm-2 and great Faradaic efficiency of (31.7 ± 1.2)%, overcoming the performances of NPS@ZIF and traditional silver nanoparticles@O-ZIF. Our strategy affords more active sites and accessible channels for reactant species due to the porous structure of NPS cores and restrains the evolution of hydrogen by introducing the hydrophobic molecule coated on the ZIF surfaces. Hence, the design of the hydrophobic core-shell composite catalyst provides a valuably practical strategy for ENRR as well as other water-sensitive reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yating Qi
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Structure and Performance for Functional Molecules, College of Chemistry, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Shulin Zhao
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Structure and Performance for Functional Molecules, College of Chemistry, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Yue Pang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Structure and Performance for Functional Molecules, College of Chemistry, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Yijie Yang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Structure and Performance for Functional Molecules, College of Chemistry, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
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49
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Li K, Ding L, Xie Z, Yang G, Yu S, Wang W, Cullen DA, Meyer HM, Hu G, Ganesh P, Watkins TR, Zhang FY. Robust Copper-Based Nanosponge Architecture Decorated by Ruthenium with Enhanced Electrocatalytic Performance for Ambient Nitrogen Reduction to Ammonia. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:11703-11712. [PMID: 36812428 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c20809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Electrochemical conversion of nitrogen to green ammonia is an attractive alternative to the Haber-Bosch process. However, it is currently bottlenecked by the lack of highly efficient electrocatalysts to drive the sluggish nitrogen reduction reaction (N2RR). Herein, we strategically design a cost-effective bimetallic Ru-Cu mixture catalyst in a nanosponge (NS) architecture via a rapid and facile method. The porous NS mixture catalysts exhibit a large electrochemical active surface area and enhanced specific activity arising from the charge redistribution for improved activation and adsorption of the activated nitrogen species. Benefiting from the synergistic effect of the Cu constituent on morphology decoration and thermodynamic suppression of the competing hydrogen evolution reaction, the optimized Ru0.15Cu0.85 NS catalyst presents an impressive N2RR performance with an ammonia yield rate of 26.25 μg h-1 mgcat.-1 (corresponding to 10.5 μg h-1 cm-2) and Faradic efficiency of 4.39% as well as superior stability in alkaline medium, which was superior to that of monometallic Ru and Cu nanostructures. Additionally, this work develops a new bimetallic combination of Ru and Cu, which promotes the strategy to design efficient electrocatalysts for electrochemical ammonia production under ambient conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kui Li
- Nanodynamics and High-Efficiency Lab for Propulsion and Power, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace & Biomedical Engineering, UT Space Institute, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tullahoma, Tennessee 37388, United States
| | - Lei Ding
- Nanodynamics and High-Efficiency Lab for Propulsion and Power, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace & Biomedical Engineering, UT Space Institute, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tullahoma, Tennessee 37388, United States
| | - Zhiqiang Xie
- Nanodynamics and High-Efficiency Lab for Propulsion and Power, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace & Biomedical Engineering, UT Space Institute, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tullahoma, Tennessee 37388, United States
| | - Gaoqiang Yang
- Nanodynamics and High-Efficiency Lab for Propulsion and Power, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace & Biomedical Engineering, UT Space Institute, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tullahoma, Tennessee 37388, United States
| | - Shule Yu
- Nanodynamics and High-Efficiency Lab for Propulsion and Power, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace & Biomedical Engineering, UT Space Institute, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tullahoma, Tennessee 37388, United States
| | - Weitian Wang
- Nanodynamics and High-Efficiency Lab for Propulsion and Power, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace & Biomedical Engineering, UT Space Institute, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tullahoma, Tennessee 37388, United States
| | - David A Cullen
- Center for Nanophase Materials Science, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Harry M Meyer
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Guoxiang Hu
- Center for Nanophase Materials Science, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Panchapakesan Ganesh
- Center for Nanophase Materials Science, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Thomas R Watkins
- Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Feng-Yuan Zhang
- Nanodynamics and High-Efficiency Lab for Propulsion and Power, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace & Biomedical Engineering, UT Space Institute, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tullahoma, Tennessee 37388, United States
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50
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Yu X, Qiu P, Wang Y, He B, Xu X, Zhu H, Ding J, Liu X, Li Z, Wang Y. Defect-induced charge redistribution of MoO 3-x nanometric wires for photocatalytic ammonia synthesis. J Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 640:775-782. [PMID: 36907146 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
Photocatalytic ammonia synthesis technology has become one of the effective methods to replace the Haber method for nitrogen fixation in the future for its low energy consumption and green environment. However, limited by the weak adsorption/activation ability of N2 molecules at the photocatalyst interface, the efficient nitrogen fixation still remains a daunting job. Defect-induced charge redistribution as a catalytic site for N2 molecules is the most prominent strategy to enhance the adsorption/activation of N2 molecules at the interface of catalysts. In this study, MoO3-x nanowires containing asymmetric defects were prepared by a one-step hydrothermal method via using glycine as a defect inducer. It is shown that at the atomic scale, the defect-induced charge reconfiguration can significantly improve the nitrogen adsorption and activation capacity and enhance the nitrogen fixation capacity; at the nanoscale, the charge redistribution induced by asymmetric defects effectively improved the photogenerated charge separation. Given the charge redistribution on the atomic and nanoscale of MoO3-x nanowires, the optimal nitrogen fixation rate of MoO3-x reached 200.35 µmol g-1h-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinru Yu
- Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, PR China
| | - Peng Qiu
- Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, PR China
| | - Yongchao Wang
- Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, PR China
| | - Bing He
- Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, PR China.
| | - Xiangran Xu
- Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, PR China
| | - Huiling Zhu
- Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, PR China
| | - Jian Ding
- Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, PR China
| | - Xueqin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of New Textile Materials and Advanced Processing Technologies, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, PR China
| | - Zhen Li
- Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, PR China
| | - Yang Wang
- Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, PR China.
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