Issue 24, 2023

Paradigm in single-atom electrocatalysts for dinitrogen reduction to ammonia

Abstract

Ammonia is a fundamental chemical feedstock to produce synthetic fertilizer that is essential to feed the increasing global population. Presently, ammonia is derived from fossil fuels by the well-known Haber–Bosch process, which has high energy demands and can only be practiced on a large scale. Electrochemical ammonia synthesis provides an attractive alternative that allows distributed production with lower energy input. Single-atom catalysts (SACs) are being extensively investigated as a new class of catalysts for the electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction, owing to the integrated merits of maximized atom utilization efficiency, tailorable metal active sites, and diverse catalytic characteristics relative to their nanoparticle equivalents. This review presents in-depth mechanistic studies and recent progress in SACs as an emerging platform for ammonia synthesis from the electroreduction of dinitrogen. Nonetheless, there are still several key challenges that must be addressed soon for these catalysts with single active sites to attain commercial success.

Graphical abstract: Paradigm in single-atom electrocatalysts for dinitrogen reduction to ammonia

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
15 mar 2023
Accepted
08 sen 2023
First published
09 sen 2023

Mater. Chem. Front., 2023,7, 6427-6445

Paradigm in single-atom electrocatalysts for dinitrogen reduction to ammonia

S. Ponnada, D. B. Gorle, I. Kumari, S. M. S. Kumar, M. T. Swihart, G. G. Botte and R. K. Sharma, Mater. Chem. Front., 2023, 7, 6427 DOI: 10.1039/D3QM00269A

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