MOF-Derived Cu3P nanoparticles coated with N-doped carbon for nitrogen fixation

Electrochemical nitrogen reduction is a significant alternative route for synthesizing ammonia, but constructing efficient catalysts for electrochemical nitrogen fixation still faces tough challenges. In this work, Cu3P@NC (NC: nitrogen-doped carbon) nanosheets were prepared via the low-temperature pyrolysis-phosphating of Cu-MOFs. When applied to the nitrogen reduction reaction, Cu3P@NC exhibited a high ammonia yield rate of 10.4 mu g h(-1) mg(cat)(-1) at -0.3 V (vs. RHE) and a faradaic efficiency (FE) of 6.3% at -0.1 V (vs. RHE). The outstanding performance was attributed to the large electrochemical surface area and the defects induced as a result of N doping, which helped enhance N-2 adsorption. This work provides a novel strategy for preparing N-doped carbon materials for wide-ranging applications.

Automated summary

In this work, Cu3P@NC nanosheets were prepared via low-temperature pyrolysis-phosphating of Cu-MOFs and exhibited high ammonia yield rate and faradaic efficiency in the electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction. The outstanding performance was attributed to the large electrochemical surface area and the defects induced by N doping.