Nano-Ferric Oxide Embedded in Graphene Oxide:High-performance Electrocatalyst for Nitrogen Reduction at Ambient Condition

摘要

Nitrogen(N_(2))fixation at ambient condition by electrochemical N_(2)reduction reaction(NRR)is energy-efficient and eco-friendly as compared to the traditional Harber–Bosch process,but it is extremely challenging.Development and design of high-performance NRR electrocatalysts are indispensable to achieve the goal.In this work,a strongly coupled hybrid of nano-Fe3O4 with reduced graphene oxide(rGO)is synthesized via an in situ redox hydrothermal approach,and the synthesized Fe_(3)O_(4)@r GO hybrid has excellent activity,selectivity,and stability as an NRR catalyst.The NH_(3) yield rate of 28.01μg h^(-1)mg^(-1)at-0.3 V and the Faradaic efficiency(FE)of 19.12%at-0.1 V are obtained in 0.1 M Na_(2)SO_(4) solutions at ambient conditions.The superior NRR performance is attributed to the chemical coupling effect between r GO and nano-Fe_(3)O_(4) particles,which leads to the enhancement of the binding affinity to N_(2) molecules,improvement of the conductivity,and lowering the free energy of reaction for the limiting reaction step.This work provides a facile route in fabricating hybrid NRR catalysts with superior performance and shed lights on the reaction mechanism with theoretical mechanistic calculations.