In situ nano Au triggered by a metal boron organic polymer: efficient electrochemical N2 fixation to NH3 under ambient conditions

Abstract

Ammonia has been obtained from the Haber–Bosch process for decades, which requires an unendurably high temperature and high pressure. Alternatively, electrochemical conversion of N₂ to NH₃ turns out to be a promising method with much lower energy consumption and accessible reaction conditions. In this work, a novel nano-gold catalyst supported on a boron organic polymer (Au/M-BOP) was prepared and achieved both excellent ammonia yield and faradaic efficiency at low potential (r(NH₃): 45.54 μg h⁻¹ cm⁻² or 75.89 μg h⁻¹ mg_cat.⁻¹ FE: 10.35%), results that are close to the top of the pyramid compared to published literature results. Moreover, the catalyst is conveniently accessible through a pre-immobilized in situ reduction, and can maintain its electrocatalytic activity for multiple uses, which could have potential implications in the industrialization of the electrocatalytic production of ammonia.