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Overcoming Chemical Inertness under Ambient Conditions: A Critical View on Recent Developments in Ammonia Synthesis via Electrochemical N 2 Reduction by Asking Five Questions
Author(s) -
Qin Qing,
Oschatz Martin
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
chemelectrochem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.182
H-Index - 59
ISSN - 2196-0216
DOI - 10.1002/celc.201901970
Subject(s) - electrochemistry , ammonia production , electrolyte , faraday efficiency , ammonia , nanotechnology , biochemical engineering , redox , chemistry , process (computing) , catalysis , process engineering , computer science , materials science , electrode , inorganic chemistry , organic chemistry , engineering , operating system
Ammonia (NH 3 ) synthesis by the electrochemical N 2 reduction reaction (NRR) is increasingly studied and proposed as an alternative process to overcome the disadvantages of Haber‐Bosch synthesis by a more energy‐efficient, carbon‐free, delocalized, and sustainable process. An ever‐increasing number of scientists are working on the improvement of the faradaic efficiency (FE) and NH 3 production rate by developing novel catalysts, electrolyte concepts, and/or by contributing theoretical studies. The present Minireview provides a critical view on the interplay of different crucial aspects in NRR from the electrolyte, over the mechanism of catalytic activation of N 2 , to the full electrochemical cell. Five critical questions are asked, discussed, and answered, each coupled with a summary of recent developments in the respective field. This article is not supposed to be a complete summary of recent research about NRR but provides a rather critical personal view on the field. It is the major aim to give an overview over crucial influences on different length scales to shine light on the sweet spots into which room for revolutionary instead of incremental improvements may exist.