Understanding the mechanisms for low-temperature N2 activation is essential for facilitating NH3 synthesis under mild conditions. Among the numerous efforts, electrochemical reduction of N2 to NH3 has recently received increasing interest, which may enable sustainable production of NH3 when powered by solar- or wind-generated electricity. However, the N2 reduction reaction (NRR) suffers from a low activity and selectivity due to the barrier for N2 activation and the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Here we present some mechanistic insights into the electrocatalytic interface for NRR. We found that the competition between NRR and HER at the electrocatalytic interface not only determines the selectivity for NRR, but also impacts the activity for NRR, which will even dominate the electrokinetic (potential-dependent) behavior of NRR. The NRR-HER competition can be moderated by tuning the pH and cations of the electrolyte, as well as the local environment and hydrophobicity at the electrocatalytic interface. In addition, we found that metal nanoparticles (such as Pd, Ru) synthesized using Oleylamine (OAm) or Polyvinylpyrrolidine (PVP) surfactants showed negligible activity for NRR, which is attributed to the residue surfactants that block N2 adsorption on the catalyst surfaces. This result indicates that NRR is sensitive to surface cleanness or environment of the catalysts, probably due to the weak adsorption of N2 on catalyst surfaces.

Understanding the electrocatalytic interface for ambient ammonia synthesis

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

[Author Benefits](https://scimeetings.acs.org/?utm_source=pubs_content_marketing&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=0320_MCF_NPI_Launch_Spring_Homepage&ref=pubs_content_marketing)

[How to use SciMeetings](https://storage.googleapis.com/dl.morressier.com/acs/SciMeetings-ACSSpring2020-HowToGuide_M3020-Final.pdf)

[Frequently Asked Questions](https://storage.googleapis.com/dl.morressier.com/acs/SciMtng_ACSNMSp2020_FAQ_M3120_Final.pdf)

ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.