Issue 4, 2023

Theoretical and experimental progress of metal electrocatalysts for the nitrogen reduction reaction

Abstract

Ammonia (NH3) has extensive applications in various fields and is mainly produced under high-temperature and high-pressure via the Haber–Bosch process, which leads to massive energy consumption. Electrocatalytic N2 reduction to NH3 is an attractive alternative for ammonia synthesis under ambient conditions. Inspired by N2-fixation in biology, metal-based materials have been generally considered as promising nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) electrocatalysts. The catalytic properties of metal species are significantly affected by their size due to the structure–reactivity correlations. In this review, we highlight theoretical and experimental studies on electrocatalytic N2 fixation with a focus on metal materials with different sizes (single atoms, metal nanoclusters, and metals and their alloy nanoparticles). The geometry structure and corresponding chemical properties will be discussed on the account of experimental and theoretical studies. Furthermore, we will summarize the modulation strategy of metal-based materials for optimized electrocatalytic performance in the NRR. By revealing the intrinsic connection between the electronic structure and the catalytic performance, we will provide a perspective on the future catalytic material design for the NRR.

Graphical abstract: Theoretical and experimental progress of metal electrocatalysts for the nitrogen reduction reaction

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
14 Oct 2022
Accepted
16 Dec 2022
First published
24 Dec 2022

Mater. Chem. Front., 2023,7, 643-661

Theoretical and experimental progress of metal electrocatalysts for the nitrogen reduction reaction

S. Zhang, X. Zhang, C. Liu, L. Pan, C. Shi, X. Zhang, Z. Huang and J. Zou, Mater. Chem. Front., 2023, 7, 643 DOI: 10.1039/D2QM01061E

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements