Accelerating electrochemically catalyzed nitrogen reductions using metalloporphyrin-mediated metal–nitrogen-doped carbon (M–N–C) catalysts

Abstract

Herein, a series of transition metal coordinated metalloporphyrin-mediated M–N–C catalysts with single and dual metal atoms were prepared and characterized. Interestingly, these M–N–C catalysts exhibit accelerated N₂ reduction behaviors through electrochemical catalysis. At the potential of E = −0.4V (vs. RHE), the optimum catalyst Fe_0.95Ni_0.05TPP@rGO-800 shows excellent catalytic activity, and the NH₃ yield is 22.5 μg mg_cat⁻¹ h⁻¹, which is much higher than that of its single metal counterparts alone, and the faradaic efficiency is as high as 50.7%, which is better than those of most reported catalysts. These results provide an opportunity to further explore the efficient electrochemical synthesis of NH₃ from M–N–C materials in the future.