Bimetallic Ag3Cu porous networks for ambient electrolysis of nitrogen to ammonia

The electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) is considered as a facile and sustainable strategy for ammonia production. Design of high-performance electrocatalysts is the crucial issue for the NRR. Herein, we present a one-pot reduction method to directly synthesize bimetallic Ag3Cu porous networks (Ag3Cu BPNs). Owing to their porous networks and bimetallic composition, the Ag3Cu BPNs exhibit outstanding NRR performance with a high NH3 yield of 24.59 μg h−1 mgcat.−1 and faradaic efficiency of 13.28% at −0.5 V vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode. This study proposes a facile and scalable route for the development of metallic porous networks with an interconnected structure and desired components for electrochemical ammonia production.