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Recent Advanced Materials for Electrochemical and Photoelectrochemical Synthesis of Ammonia from Dinitrogen: One Step Closer to a Sustainable Energy Future
Author(s) -
Yan Zihao,
Ji Mengxia,
Xia Jiexiang,
Zhu Huiyuan
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
advanced energy materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.08
H-Index - 220
eISSN - 1614-6840
pISSN - 1614-6832
DOI - 10.1002/aenm.201902020
Subject(s) - ammonia production , renewable energy , catalysis , materials science , ammonia , nitrogenase , electrochemistry , electrochemical energy conversion , nanotechnology , raw material , nitrogen fixation , biochemical engineering , process engineering , nitrogen , chemistry , organic chemistry , electrode , engineering , electrical engineering
Ammonia (NH 3 ), an important raw material for chemical industry and agriculture, is also considered to be an intriguing energy storage and transportation media for chemical conversion schemes. The world's primary NH 3 supply is based on the natural nitrogen fixation by diazotrophs through an enzymatic nitrogenase process and the industrial nitrogen fixation through a traditional Haber–Bosch process. The natural synthesis of NH 3 can hardly meet the rapidly growing global demand. Meanwhile, the industrial NH 3 production is still dominated by the high‐temperature and high‐pressure reaction between nitrogen and hydrogen (N 2 + 3H 2 → 2NH 3 ), requiring intensive energy input and generating massive CO 2 . Therefore, seeking a breakthrough in the development of catalysts toward efficient ammonia synthesis has become the frontier of energy and chemical conversion schemes. This review summarizes and discusses the recent progress on developing new strategies to optimize the efficiency of NH 3 production coupled with renewable energy sources, with a specific focus on electrocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic conversion of N 2 to NH 3 . The most recent advances in the development of catalytic materials, the design of the reaction systems, and the computational insights for electrochemical and photoelectrochemical ammonia synthesis are covered.