Revealing nitrogen-containing species in commercial catalysts used for ammonia electrosynthesis
Chen, Yifu Liu, Hengzhou Ha, Nguon Licht, Stuart L. Gu, Shuang Li, Wenzhen
Chen, Yifu
Liu, Hengzhou
Ha, Nguon
Licht, Stuart L.
Gu, Shuang
Li, Wenzhen
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Authors
Chen, Yifu
Liu, Hengzhou
Ha, Nguon
Licht, Stuart L.
Gu, Shuang
Li, Wenzhen
Liu, Hengzhou
Ha, Nguon
Licht, Stuart L.
Gu, Shuang
Li, Wenzhen
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2020-10-26
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Keywords
Ammonia,Catalysts,Impurities,Nitrogen oxides,Potassium hydroxide,Reduction,Sodium hydroxide
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Citation
Cite this article Chen, Y., Liu, H., Ha, N. et al. Revealing nitrogen-containing species in commercial catalysts used for ammonia electrosynthesis. Nat Catal (2020)
Abstract
Stimulated by the growing demand for sustainable and/or economical distributed ammonia synthesis, the electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction has attracted considerable interest. The nitrogen-containing impurities in commercial metal-based nitrogen reduction reaction catalysts such as metal oxides and metallic irons have, however, been overlooked. Herein we report the presence of nitrogen-containing species in NOx− or nitrides at substantial levels revealed from many commercial catalysts. We call attention to the necessity to screen the NOx−/nitrides impurities in commercial catalysts, as the nitrogen impurities are not commonly listed in vendors’ assay documents. A simple two-step procedure (alkaline/acidic treatment followed by HPLC/UV–vis analysis) is recommended as a reliable protocol for screening NOx−/nitrides impurities in catalyst materials. A case analysis is also carried out on the previously reported H2O–NaOH–KOH system with both 15N-isotopic labelling and nitrogen elemental tracking, reassigning the true nitrogen source of the electrochemically produced NH3 from gaseous N2 to nitrogen-containing impurities in catalysts. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]
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Nature Research
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Nature Catalysis;2020
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2520-1158