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DOE OSTI · 1963189

Disordered Au Nanoclusters for Efficient Ammonia Electrosynthesis

Peng, Xianyun·Zhang, Rui·Mi, Yuying·Wang, Hsiao‐Tsu·Huang, Yu‐Cheng·Han, Lili·Head, Ashley R.·Pao, Chih‐Wen·Liu, Xijun·Dong, Chung‐Li·Liu, Qian·Zhang, Shusheng·Pong, Way‐Faung·Luo, Jun·Xin, Huolin L.
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Abstract

The electrochemical nitrogen (N 2 ) reduction reaction (N 2 RR) under mild conditions is a promising and environmentally friendly alternative to the traditional Haber-Bosch process with high energy consumption and greenhouse emission for the synthesis of ammonia (NH 3 ), but high-yielding production is rendered challenging by the strong nonpolar N≡N bond in N 2 molecules, which hinders their dissociation or activation. In this study, disordered Au nanoclusters anchored on two-dimensional ultrathin Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene nanosheets are explored as highly active and selective electrocatalysts for efficient N 2 -to-NH 3 conversion, exhibiting exceptional activity with an NH 3 yield rate of 88.3±1.7 μg h –1 mg cat. –1 and a faradaic efficiency of 9.3±0.4 %. Further, a combination of in situ near-ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and operando X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy is employed to unveil the uniqueness of this catalyst for N 2 RR. The disordered structure is found to serve as the active site for N 2 chemisorption and activation during the N 2 RR process.

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37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRYMXenesammoniaelectrocatalysisgoldnanoclusters

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Peng, Xianyun, Zhang, Rui, Mi, Yuying, Wang, Hsiao‐Tsu, Huang, Yu‐Cheng, Han, Lili, Head, Ashley R., Pao, Chih‐Wen, Liu, Xijun, Dong, Chung‐Li, Liu, Qian, Zhang, Shusheng, Pong, Way‐Faung, Luo, Jun, Xin, Huolin L.. 2023-02-08. Disordered Au Nanoclusters for Efficient Ammonia Electrosynthesis. https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.202201385

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