Chinese Journal of Catalysis ›› 2023, Vol. 52: 50-78.DOI: 10.1016/S1872-2067(23)64504-8

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Recent progress in advanced catalysts for electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction to ammonia

Yan Hong,1, Qi Wang,1, Ziwang Kan, Yushuo Zhang, Jing Guo, Siqi Li, Song Liu*(), Bin Li*()   

  1. College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, Heilongjiang, China
  • Received:2023-05-24 Accepted:2023-08-07 Online:2023-09-18 Published:2023-09-25
  • Contact: *E-mail: carlosliusong@nefu.edu.cn (S. Liu),libinzh62@163.com (B. Li).
  • About author:Song Liu is a professor at Northeast Forestry University. He received his B.S. degree (2014) from Jilin University and his PhD degree (2020) in catalysis from Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. His research interests include design and preparation of efficient biomass-based electrocatalytic materials, mechanism analysis of electrocatalytic reaction and electrocatalytic biomass conversion.
    Bin Li is a former professor of Northeast Forestry University, received his master's degree (1989) from the Department of Forestry Engineering of Northeast Forestry University. He received his Ph.D. degree (1997) in Applied Chemistry from Beijing Institute of Technology. His research interests include environment-friendly halogen-free flame retard-antpolymers, functional nanocomposite polymers and biomass and medical polymers.
    1Contribute equally to this work.
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China(2208048);National Natural Science Foundation of China(62001097);Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province(YQ2022B001);Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program by CAST(YESS20210262);China Postdoctoral Science Foundation-Funded Project(2021M690571);Heilongjiang Postdoctoral Fund(LBH-Z21096);Provincial Natural Science Foundation Joint Guidance Project(LH2020F001);Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(2572020BU04)

Abstract:

Due to its use of renewable energy and environmental friendliness, the electrochemical nitrogen reduction process (eNRR) has become a promising substitute for the manufacturing of ammonia. Despite extensive exploration of eNRR catalysts, an optimal catalyst has not been reported to date. Therefore, it is imperative to develop rational catalysts to enhance NH3 synthesis efficiency. In order to offer suggestions for catalyst design, recent developments in electrocatalysts for eNRR are summarized in this paper. Firstly, the eNRR mechanism is briefly introduced. Secondly, the design strategies of eNRR catalysts were summarized in terms of morphology, structure, vacancies, doping, synergistic effect, heterojunction and single atom. Subsequently, the application of in situ mass spectrometry, in situ infrared, in situ XAS and in situ Raman to the NRR reaction is discussed. The importance of the density-functional theory (DFT) method for the study of reaction energy barriers and catalyst electron-orbital distributions during eNRR catalysis is discussed. Finally, this review presents the potential challenges and future perspectives of eNRR.

Key words: Electrocatalysis, Nitrogen reduction, Structure design, Original characterization, Reaction system