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Confinement of Intermediates in Blue TiO 2 Nanotube Arrays Boosts Reaction Rate of Nitrogen Electrocatalysis
Author(s) -
Zhang Jianfang,
Tian Yujing,
Zhang Tianyu,
Li Zhengyuan,
She Xiaojie,
Wu Yucheng,
Wang Yan,
Wu Jingjie
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
chemcatchem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.497
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1867-3899
pISSN - 1867-3880
DOI - 10.1002/cctc.202000006
Subject(s) - electrocatalyst , catalysis , faraday efficiency , oxide , metal , yield (engineering) , chemistry , inorganic chemistry , reaction intermediate , photochemistry , nanotube , electrochemistry , redox , reaction rate , materials science , electrode , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , carbon nanotube , organic chemistry , engineering , metallurgy
Electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) is a complementary route to the traditional Haber‐Bosch process. Boosting the reaction kinetics of electrocatalytic NRR is key to promote the NH 3 yield. Herein, we demonstrate that the confinement of reactive intermediates (e. g., *N 2 ) in highly ordered blue TiO 2 nanotubes (b‐TiO 2 ) can significantly enhance the surface reaction rate of electrocatalytic NRR on the encapsulated metal oxide catalysts. The enhancement of the reaction rate of NH 3 synthesis is attributed to the increased surface coverage of intermediates inside the b‐TiO 2 nanotubes. Benefiting from the confinement effect of intermediates, the b‐TiO 2 nanotubes enclosing metal oxide electrodes show both higher production rate and Faradaic efficiency of NH 3 than the combined ones of individual metal oxide and b‐TiO 2 electrodes.