Ammonia Synthesis from Electrocatalytic N2 Reduction under Ambient Conditions by Fe2O3 Nanorods

Graphical Iron rods : here, Fe 2 O 3 nanorods are reported as an efficient non-noble-metal electrocatalyst for the nitrogen reduction reaction under ambient conditions. The nanorods efficiently catalyze N 2 to NH 3 in 0.1 M Na 2 SO 4 , achieving a Faradaic efficiency of 0.94 % with a NH 3 yield of 15.9 μg h −1 mg −1 cat. at a potential of −0.8 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode. The conventional Haber-Bosch process for industrial ammonia production from N 2 and H 2 is not only energy-intensive but also releases a large amount of CO 2 . The electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) is regarded as a sustainable and environmentally-benign alternative approach for NH 3 production under ambient conditions. In this communication, it is reported that Fe 2 O 3 nanorods act as an efficient electrocatalyst for the NRR. In 0.1 M Na 2 SO 4 , it attains a Faradic efficiency of 0.94 % and NH 3 yield of 15.9 μg h −1 mg −1 cat. at −0.8 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode. Furthermore, this catalyst also shows good stability during electrolysis and recycling tests.