Chemically coupled electrocatalyst for nitrogen reduction to ammonia. (2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bastia, Sweta; Kumar, Niharika; Mishra, Rajashree P.; Swain, Smrutirekha; Chaudhary, Yatendra S.
• Is Part Of: Materials today. Volume 67:Part 8(2022)
• Page Start: 1164
• Page End: 1169
• Publication Date: 2022
• Subjects: Electrocatalyst -- Nitrogen reduction -- Graphene oxide -- Iron oxide -- Electrochemical nitrogen reduction; Materials science -- Congresses -- Periodicals; 620.1
• DOI: 10.1016/j.matpr.2022.07.331
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2214-7853

Abstract

Abstract: The efficient electrochemical production of ammonia (NH3 ) is a major subject of research for both, academic and industrial pursuits. The NN triple bond has large bond energy and eventually, the sluggish kinetics make the electrochemical nitrogen (N2 ) reduction to the NH3 process elusive. Electrochemical N2 fixation requires effective and simultaneous adsorption and activation of N2 molecules on the surface of the electrocatalyst. To drive the N2 reduction to NH3, a chemically coupled hematite-rGO electrocatalyst has been synthesized by a redox hydrothermal technique. The hematite phase formation was confirmed by the presence of diffraction peaks (0 1 2), (1 0 4), (1 1 0), (1 1 3), (0 2 4), (1 1 6), (2 1 4), (3 0 0) corresponding to the rhombohedral structure of α-Fe2 O3 . The chemical coupling of the hematite-rGO was revealed by the increasing ID /IG ratio (from 1.01 to 1.30) in Raman Spectrum and presence of peak at 568 cm −1 corresponding to FeOC bond in the FTIR spectrum, upon hematite coupling with the rGO. Hematite-rGO exhibits selective electrocatalytic N2 reduction to NH3 with the yield rate of 7.77 µg h −1 mg −1 at −0.1 V and Faradic efficiency (FE) of 2.28% at −0.1 V under ambient conditions.