A two-dimensional Ru@MXene catalyst for highly selective ambient electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• The Haber-Bosch process, while crucial for ammonia production, is energy-intensive and relies on fossil fuels.
• Electrochemical ammonia synthesis offers a sustainable alternative but faces challenges with high overpotential and low selectivity in the nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR).

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a high-performance catalyst for ambient electrocatalytic NRR.
• To address the limitations of current electrochemical ammonia synthesis methods.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of a Ru@Ti3C2 MXene catalyst.
• Electrochemical testing of the catalyst in a 0.1 M KOH electrolyte for NRR.
• Measurement of ammonia yield and Faraday efficiency.

Main Results:

• The Ru@MXene catalyst achieved an NH3 yield of 2.3 μmol h-1 cm-2.
• A Faraday efficiency of 13.13% was recorded at -0.4 V (vs. RHE).

Conclusions:

• The developed Ru@MXene catalyst demonstrates high performance for ambient electrocatalytic NRR.
• This catalyst presents a viable and sustainable alternative for ammonia synthesis, overcoming previous limitations.