Ambient Electrosynthesis of Ammonia : Electrode Porosity and Composition Engineering

• Ammonia, a key precursor for fertilizer production, convenient hydrogen carrier, and emerging clean fuel, plays a pivotal role in sustaining life on Earth. Currently, the main route for NH3 synthesis is by the heterogeneous catalytic Haber-Bosch process (N-2+ 3H(2) -> 2NH(3)), which proceeds under extreme conditions of temperature and pressure with a very large carbon footprint. Herein we report that a pristine nitrogen-doped nanoporous graphitic carbon membrane (NCM) can electrochemically convert N-2 into NH3 in an acidic aqueous solution under ambient conditions. The Faradaic efficiency and rate of production of NH3 on the NCM electrode reach 5.2% and 0.08 gm(-2) h(-1), respectively. Functionalization of the NCM with Au nanoparticles dramatically enhances these performance metrics to 22% and 0.36 gm(-2) h(-1), respectively. As this system offers the potential to be scaled to industrial levels it is highly likely that it might displace the century-old Haber-Bosch process.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

electrocatalysis

functionalization

nitrogen fixation

poly(ionic liquid)

porous carbon membrane

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)