Issue 42, 2018

Highly efficient electrochemical ammonia synthesis via nitrogen reduction reactions on a VN nanowire array under ambient conditions

Abstract

The development of a sustainable route to ammonia production is one of the most attractive targets in chemistry. The primary method of ammonia production, Haber–Bosch process, can bring about excessive consumption of fossil fuels and large CO2 emission. In this communication, we develop a VN nanowire array on carbon cloth (VN/CC) as a high-performance catalyst for the nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) under ambient conditions. Such an electrocatalyst achieves high ammonia yield (2.48 × 10−10 mol−1 s−1 cm−2) and faradaic efficiency (3.58%) at −0.3 V versus RHE in 0.1 M HCl, outperforming most reported results for N2 fixation under ambient conditions, and even comparing favorably with those obtained under high temperatures and/or pressures. This work not only provides us an attractive catalyst material for the NRR in acidic media, but would also open up an exciting new avenue to the rational design and fabrication of transition metal nitrides for the NRR.

Graphical abstract: Highly efficient electrochemical ammonia synthesis via nitrogen reduction reactions on a VN nanowire array under ambient conditions

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
19 Jan 2018
Accepted
17 Apr 2018
First published
28 Apr 2018

Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 5323-5325

Highly efficient electrochemical ammonia synthesis via nitrogen reduction reactions on a VN nanowire array under ambient conditions

X. Zhang, R. Kong, H. Du, L. Xia and F. Qu, Chem. Commun., 2018, 54, 5323 DOI: 10.1039/C8CC00459E

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements