Bionic Design of Iron-Doped MoSe₂ Catalyst for Efficient Nitrogen Fixation

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Biological nitrogen fixation relies on the FeMo cofactor in nitrogenase enzymes.
• Developing efficient inorganic catalysts for nitrogen electroreduction is crucial for ammonia synthesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize a bionic inorganic catalyst for efficient electroreduction of dinitrogen to ammonia.
• To investigate the effect of iron doping and heterostructure formation on catalytic activity.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of iron-doped MoSe2 (Fe-MoSe2) and Fe-MoSe2/Mo2C heterostructure catalysts.
• Electrochemical characterization of catalytic performance for ammonia synthesis.
• Analysis of catalyst structure and electronic properties.

Main Results:

• Iron doping significantly enhances the nitrogen fixation activity of MoSe2.
• The Fe-MoSe2/Mo2C heterostructure exhibits versatile Mo valence states, improving performance.
• Achieved an ammonia production rate of 3.38 μg cm⁻² h⁻¹ and 30.8% Faradaic efficiency.

Conclusions:

• The Fe-MoSe2/Mo2C heterostructure demonstrates superior electrocatalytic activity for ammonia synthesis compared to pristine MoSe2.
• This study presents a novel bionic design strategy for efficient nitrogen fixation electrocatalysts.