Electroreduction of N2 to NH3 catalyzed by a Mn/Re(111) single-atom alloy catalyst with high activity and selectivity: a new insight from a first-principles study

First-principles calculations were employed to evaluate the doping effects on the activity and selectivity of various single-atom alloy (SAA) catalysts for the electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (eNRR). A series of SAA catalysts are formed by the introduction of different single transition metal (TM = Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, W, Os, Ir, Pt, and Au) atoms into a defective Re(111) surface. Our periodic density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that the Mn/Re(111) SAA has the ability to spontaneously adsorb N-2 molecules rather than H atoms, and thus it can effectively improve the selectivity of the eNRR and inhibit that of the HER. Electronic structure analysis shows that hydrogenation of *N-2 to *NNH on the surface of the Mn/Re(111) SAA catalyst results in the formation of a *N-2(-) radical via the charge transfer from the H atom to the adsorbed N-2 molecule. Due to the very high reactivity of the *N-2(-) radical, the calculated free energy changes of the subsequent hydrogenation processes along the favorable distal pathway are close to 0 eV or even negative on the surface of the Mn/Re(111) SAA. All these results indicate that the Mn/Re(111) SAA may be an excellent catalyst with high activity and selectivity for the eNRR.

Automated summary

This study employs first-principles calculations to investigate the effects of doping on the activity and selectivity of single-atom alloy (SAA) catalysts for the electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (eNRR). It is found that the Mn/Re(111) SAA catalyst exhibits higher affinity towards N-2 molecule adsorption than H atom, leading to improved selectivity of eNRR. Electronic structure analysis reveals that the *N-2 molecule on the surface of Mn/Re(111) SAA catalyst can be hydrogenated to *NNH, generating a highly reactive *N-2- radical through charge transfer from the H atom. The calculated free energy changes along the favorable distal pathway are close to 0 eV or even negative, indicating the high activity and selectivity of Mn/Re(111) SAA catalyst for eNRR.