High-performance artificial nitrogen fixation at ambient conditions using a metal-free electrocatalyst.

ABSTRACT: Conversion of naturally abundant nitrogen to ammonia is a key (bio)chemical process to sustain life and represents a major challenge in chemistry and biology. Electrochemical reduction is emerging as a sustainable strategy for artificial nitrogen fixation at ambient conditions by tackling the hydrogen- and energy-intensive operations of the Haber-Bosch process. However, it is severely challenged by nitrogen activation and requires efficient catalysts for the nitrogen reduction reaction. Here we report that a boron carbide nanosheet acts as a metal-free catalyst for high-performance electrochemical nitrogen-to-ammonia fixation at ambient conditions. The catalyst can achieve a high ammonia yield of 26.57 μg h^-1 mg^-1_cat. and a fairly high Faradaic efficiency o

SUBMITTER: Qiu W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6113289 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature