FeP–Fe3O4 nanospheres for electrocatalytic N2 reduction to NH3 under ambient conditions

Abstract

The electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (eNRR) under ambient conditions is deemed a promising alternative for NH₃ synthesis. In this paper, an FeP–Fe₃O₄ nanocomposite electrocatalyst was prepared by phosphating annealing using Fe₂O₃ as a precursor, and the resulting FeP–Fe₃O₄ exhibited excellent N₂-to-NH₃-producing activity over a wide potential window. The highest faradaic efficiency of FeP–Fe₃O₄ is 11.02% at −0.1 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), and the maximum NH₃ yield reaches 12.73 μg h⁻¹ mg_cat⁻¹, comparable to or exceeding the reported values in this field. Furthermore, the FeP–Fe₃O₄ nanocomposite electrocatalyst presents high electrochemical stability, selectivity, and durability.