Electrochemical N2 fixation by Cu-modified iron oxide dendrites

The electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) under mild conditions is significantly challenging, due to the extremely high stability of dinitrogen (N-2) molecules. The NRR pathway also confronts the competitive water reduction reaction that takes places universally in an aqueous solution. Herein, a Fe2O3/Cu catalyst is demonstrated as an efficient NRR electrocatalyst. The electronic interactions elevate the d-state electron center, enabling strong back-bonding for N-2 molecules. The altering of d-electron distribution promotes the adsorption of N-2, leading to a high catalytic activity. As a result, the Fe2O3/Cu catalyst exhibits an outstanding ammonia production rate of 15.66 mu g.h(-1).mg(cat)(-1) at -0.1 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), a Faradaic efficiency of 24.4%, and a good electrochemical stability. (C) 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.