Boron phosphide as an efficient metal-free catalyst for nitrate electroreduction to ammonia
Nana Zhang1, Guike Zhang1, Ye Tian2
1School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, China. chuk630@mail.lzjtu.cn.
Dalton Transactions (Cambridge, England : 2003)
|March 24, 2023
Summary
Boron phosphide (BP) is a novel metal-free catalyst for nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) to ammonia (NH3). This study demonstrates BP
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Catalysis
Background:
- Nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) is crucial for sustainable ammonia synthesis.
- Existing metal-based catalysts often suffer from low selectivity and high cost.
- Development of efficient, metal-free catalysts is highly desirable.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate boron phosphide (BP) as a metal-free catalyst for NO3RR.
- To evaluate the catalytic performance of BP for ammonia production.
- To elucidate the mechanism of BP-catalyzed NO3RR using theoretical calculations.
Main Methods:
- Electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) experiments.
- Synthesis and characterization of boron phosphide (BP) catalyst.
- Density functional theory (DFT) calculations for mechanistic studies.
Main Results:
- Boron phosphide (BP) achieved the highest NH3-Faradaic efficiency (96.3%) among metal-free catalysts.
- BP exhibited a high NH3 yield rate of 3.1 mg h-1 cm-2.
- Theoretical calculations revealed efficient NO3- activation and suppressed hydrogen evolution on BP.
Conclusions:
- Boron phosphide (BP) is a highly efficient and selective metal-free catalyst for NO3RR to NH3.
- The active B centers in BP play a key role in enhancing catalytic activity and selectivity.
- BP offers a promising alternative to traditional metal-based catalysts for sustainable ammonia synthesis.
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