Glycerine-based synthesis of a highly efficient Fe2O3 electrocatalyst for N2 fixation†
Abstract
The electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) is a promising approach to convert N2 into high value-added NH3. However, it is still a challenge to achieve an efficient electrocatalyst for the NRR. Herein, it is demonstrated that the Fe2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) generated from a glycerine-based synthesis can be applied as highly efficient catalysts for the NRR. The Fe2O3 NPs show good performance with a high NH3 yield (22 μg mgcat−1 h−1) and a favorable Faradaic efficiency (FE) (3.5%) at −0.5 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). The facile synthesis strategy and satisfactory electrochemical properties demonstrate the potential application of the as-synthesized Fe2O3 NPs for NRR.