Progress in Mo/W-based electrocatalysts for nitrogen reduction to ammonia under ambient conditions
Libin Zeng1,2, Zhi Qiao3, Xianyun Peng1,2
1Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China. yhou@zju.edu.cn.
Abstract:
Ammonia (NH3), possessing high hydrogen content and energy density, has been widely employed for fertilizers and value-added chemicals in green energy carriers and fuels. However, the current NH3 synthesis largely depends on the traditional Haber-Bosch process, which needs tremendous energy consumption and generates greenhouse gas, resulting in severe energy and environmental issues. The electrochemical strategy of converting N2 to NH3 under mild conditions is a potentially promising route to realize an environmentally friendly concept. Among various catalysts, molybdenum/tungsten-based electrocatalysts have been widely used in electrochemical catalytic and energy conversion. This review describes the latest progress of molybdenum/tungsten-based electrocatalysts for the electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction. The fundamental roles of morphology, doping, defects, heterojunction, and coupling regulation in improving electrocatalytic performance are mainly discussed. Besides, some tailoring strategies for enhancing the conversion efficiency of N2 to NH3 over Mo/W-based electrocatalysts are also summarized. Finally, the existing challenges and limitations of N2 fixation are proposed, as well as possible future perspectives, which will provide a platform for further development of advanced Mo/W-based N2 reduction systems.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Preparation of Amines: Reduction of Oximes and Nitro Compounds
Though catalytic hydrogenation can reduce nitrobenzenes, the reduction is nonselective in the presence of other functional groups. For instance, if nitrobenzene contains an aldehyde group,...
Preparation of Amines: Reduction of Amides and Nitriles
Amides can be reduced to primary, secondary, and tertiary amines using catalytic hydrogenation, active metals like Fe,...
Metabolism of Chemolithotrophs
Nitriles to Amines: LiAlH4 Reduction
As shown below, the mechanism involves three steps. Firstly, the hydride ion acting as a nucleophile attacks the nitrile carbon to form an anion. In the second step, a second equivalent of the hydride ion attacks the anion to...
Inorganic Nitrogen Assimilation
Free Energy Changes for Nonstandard States
where R is the gas constant (8.314 J/K·mol), T is the absolute temperature in kelvin, and Q is the reaction quotient. This equation may be used to predict the spontaneity of a process under any given set of conditions.
Reaction Quotient...


