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A Biomass‐Derived Carbon‐Based Electrocatalyst for Efficient N 2 Fixation to NH 3 under Ambient Conditions
Author(s) -
Huang Hong,
Xia Li,
Cao RongRong,
Niu Zhiguo,
Chen Hongyu,
Liu Qian,
Li Tingshuai,
Shi Xifeng,
Asiri Abdullah M.,
Sun Xuping
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.201805523
Subject(s) - electrocatalyst , nanosheet , electrochemistry , reversible hydrogen electrode , catalysis , carbon fibers , selectivity , materials science , inorganic chemistry , chemical engineering , electrode , chemistry , nanotechnology , working electrode , composite number , organic chemistry , composite material , engineering
Currently, NH 3 production primarily depends on the Haber–Bosch process, which operates at elevated temperatures and pressures and leads to serious CO 2 emissions. Electrocatalytic N 2 reduction offers an environmentally benign approach for the sustainable synthesis of NH 3 under ambient conditions. This work reports the development of biomass‐derived amorphous oxygen‐doped carbon nanosheet (O−CN) using tannin as the precursor. As a metal‐free electrocatalyst for N 2 ‐to‐NH 3 conversion, such O−CN shows high catalytic performances, achieving a large NH 3 yield of 20.15 μg h −1 mg −1 cat. and a high Faradic efficiency of 4.97 % at −0.6 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) in 0.1 m HCl at ambient conditions. Remarkably, it also exhibits high electrochemical selectivity and durability.