An Fe2O3 nanoparticle-reduced graphene oxide composite for ambient electrocatalytic N2 reduction to NH3

Abstract

The Haber–Bosch process for industrial-scale NH₃ production suffers from harsh reaction conditions with CO₂ emission. Electrochemical N₂ reduction has gained considerable recent interest as an eco-friendly and sustainable alternative for NH₃ synthesis with the aid of efficient electrocatalysts for the N₂ reduction reaction (NRR). Here, an Fe₂O₃ nanoparticle-reduced graphene oxide composite (Fe₂O₃-rGO) is reported to be an Earth-abundant NRR electrocatalyst, enabling efficient ambient N₂-to-NH₃ conversion. In 0.5 M LiClO₄, this Fe₂O₃-rGO attains a large NH₃ yield of 22.13 μg h⁻¹ mg⁻¹_cat at −0.50 V and a high faradaic efficiency of 5.89% at −0.40 V (vs. RHE). It also demonstrates high electrochemical stability.