FeVO4porous nanorods for electrochemical nitrogen reduction: contribution of the Fe2c-V2cdimer as a dual electron-donation center

The electrocatalytic N(2)reduction reaction (NRR) offers a sustainable route for ambient NH(3)production. To ensure a high NRR efficiency, it is critically important to design active electrocatalysts which possess a strong electron-donating capability to activate the stable NN bond and facilitate the protonation process. Herein, inspired by the FeV-cofactor as a catalytic site for biological N(2)fixation, we show that the FeVO(4)can be a highly efficient and durable NRR catalyst. The developed FeVO(4)porous nanorods delivered a favorable combination of both high NH(3)production rate (52.8 mu g h(-1)mg(-1)) and high faradaic efficiency (15.7%), surpassing those of nearly all the previously reported Fe- and V-based catalysts. Theoretical computations revealed that the high NRR performance of FeVO(4)originated from the Fe-2c-V(2c)dimer (2c means two-fold coordinated bond) as a dual electron-donation center to effectively activate the NRR with a low overpotential.