Issue 32, 2020

Activating VS2 basal planes for enhanced NRR electrocatalysis: the synergistic role of S-vacancies and B dopants

Abstract

The nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) is a pivotal step in electrochemical N2 fixation to NH3. VS2 holds great promise as a NRR electrocatalyst, but its high activity requires the sufficient activation of inert basal planes. Herein, we demonstrate the first successful activation of VS2 basal planes toward the NRR by introducing S-vacancies (Vs) and B-dopants. The theoretical calculations unravel that the synergistic role of VS and B-dopants enables the most effective activation of VS2 basal planes by creating unique B-adjacent-unsaturated-V active sites that can significantly promote the NRR while suppressing hydrogen evolution. The synthesized B-doped VS2 nanoflowers with enriched surface Vs delivered an NH3 yield of 55.7 μg h−1 mg−1 (−0.4 V) and a faradaic efficiency (FE) of 16.4% (−0.2 V) and represent the best V-based catalysts to date. Our theoretical and experimental findings may facilitate the exploration and understanding of advanced transition-metal disulfide catalysts for the NRR.

Graphical abstract: Activating VS2 basal planes for enhanced NRR electrocatalysis: the synergistic role of S-vacancies and B dopants

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
25 Cax 2020
Accepted
20 Qad 2020
First published
21 Qad 2020

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2020,8, 16195-16202

Activating VS2 basal planes for enhanced NRR electrocatalysis: the synergistic role of S-vacancies and B dopants

Q. Li, Y. Guo, Y. Tian, W. Liu and K. Chu, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2020, 8, 16195 DOI: 10.1039/D0TA05282E

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements