Ultrafine AuCu nanowires for electrocatalytic nitrogen fixation

Abstract

Electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) is a green and sustainable method for NH₃ production, but it suffers from poor activity and low selectivity due to the high energy barrier of nitrogen activation. Herein, we propose the construction of ultrafine gold–copper nanowires (AuCu NWs) via a rapid wet-chemical reduction process for electrochemical ammonia synthesis. The one-dimensional structure provides a large surface area, good electrical conductivity and facilitated mass/charge transfer. Moreover, bimetallic composition can optimize the adsorption energy of intermediates on catalysts. As such, the AuCu NWs display higher NRR performance at a low potential of −0.2 V under neutral conditions, with an ammonia yield of 31.57 μg h⁻¹ mg⁻¹_cat. and a faradaic efficiency of 22.1%. This work provides a feasible strategy for the construction of ultrafine nanowire structures towards the electro-reduction of nitrogen to ammonia.