Microfluidic Tailoring of a Ru Nanodots/Carbon Heterocatalyst for Electrocatalytic Nitrogen Fixation

The electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction is regardedasa promising environment-friendly method for ammonia synthesis. However,it is hardly satisfactory for meeting industrial demands, owing toits limited activity and selectivity. Herein, a continuous-flow microfluidicplatform is developed to efficiently synthesize the Ru nanodots/carbon(Ru/C) hetero-catalyst. By systematically tailoring the reaction dynamics(concentration, temperature, flow ratio, and surfactant), the optimizedRu/C hetero-catalysts show an ultrafine average size (2.16 nm) andhigh mass loading (3.44 wt %), providing abundant active sites forstrong N-2 chemisorption. Benefiting from their outstandingnature, the Ru/C hetero-catalysts possess a large ammonia yield of7.63 & mu;g h(-1) cm(-2) and a highFaradaic efficiency of 6.51% under the neutral condition (0.1 molL(-1) Na2SO4). Our work opensan innovative pathway for controllable microfluidic tailoring of high-performancehetero-catalysts, which further promotes the development of syntheticammonia chemical industry.

Automated summary

In this study, the optimized Ru/C hetero-catalyst was efficiently synthesized using a continuous-flow microfluidic platform. By tailoring the reaction dynamics, the Ru/C hetero-catalysts showed ultrafine size and high mass loading, leading to abundant active sites for N-2 chemisorption. The Ru/C hetero-catalysts exhibited a large ammonia yield and high Faradaic efficiency, opening up a pathway for controllable microfluidic tailoring of high-performance hetero-catalysts and promoting the development of synthetic ammonia chemical industry.