Glycerine-based synthesis of a highly efficient Fe2O3 electrocatalyst for N2 fixation

Abstract

The electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) is a promising approach to convert N₂ into high value-added NH₃. However, it is still a challenge to achieve an efficient electrocatalyst for the NRR. Herein, it is demonstrated that the Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles (NPs) generated from a glycerine-based synthesis can be applied as highly efficient catalysts for the NRR. The Fe₂O₃ NPs show good performance with a high NH₃ yield (22 μg mg_cat⁻¹ h⁻¹) and a favorable Faradaic efficiency (FE) (3.5%) at −0.5 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). The facile synthesis strategy and satisfactory electrochemical properties demonstrate the potential application of the as-synthesized Fe₂O₃ NPs for NRR.