Nanoporous NiSb to Enhance Nitrogen Electroreduction via Tailoring Competitive Adsorption Sites. Issue 42 (4th September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fan, Guilan; Xu, Wence; Li, Jinhan; Chen, Jia‐Liang; Yu, Meng; Ni, Youxuan; Zhu, Shengli; Su, Xun‐Cheng; Cheng, Fangyi
• Is Part Of: Advanced materials. Volume 33:Issue 42(2021)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2021-09-04
• Subjects: dealloying -- electrocatalysis -- NiSb alloy -- nitrogen reduction reaction; Materials -- Periodicals; Chemical vapor deposition -- Periodicals; 620.11
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.202101126
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0935-9648

Abstract

Abstract: Ambient nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) is attracting extensive interest but still suffers from sluggish kinetics owing to competitive rapid hydrogen evolution and difficult nitrogen activation. Herein, nanoporous NiSb alloy is reported as an efficient electrocatalyst for N2 fixation, achieving a high ammonia yield rate of 56.9 µ g h −1 mg −1 with a Faradaic efficiency of 48.0%. Density functional theory calculations reveal that in NiSb alloy, Ni favors N2 hydrogenation while the neighboring Sb separates active sites for proton and N2 adsorption, which optimizes the adsorption/desorption of intermediates and enables an energetically favorable NRR pathway. This work indicates promising electrocatalytic application of the alloys of 3d and p block metals toward the NRR and provides an intriguing strategy to enhance the reduction of inert molecules by restraining the competitive hydrogen adsorption. Abstract : Isolating nitrogen and proton adsorption sites is an efficient strategy to improve the catalytic performance for electrochemical nitrogen reduction. Nanoporous NiSb provides separated binding sites for adsorption of H + and N2, and optimizes the adsorption of nitrogen reduction reaction intermediates due to the electrons modulation of Sb to Ni, resulting in the improved NH3 yield and Faradaic efficiency.