Engineering 3D Printed Structures Towards  Electrochemically Driven Green Ammonia Synthesis: A Perspective

Abstract

Broadening scope of 3D printing technology is recently identified as a potential strategy to mitigate concerns in the light of rising energy crisis and environmental imbalances. The importance of ammonia as a hydrogen carrier is well known and, in the context of 3D printing, designing and fabrication of electrode substrates for ammonia synthesis from nitrate sources will present a twofold advantage toward addressing the energy crisis and also limiting the harmful effect of excessive nitrate from the environment. Studies in the direction of employing 3D printed catalysts or reactors for ammonia production have been rarely reported. Thus, in this perspective article, the possibilities of engineering several 3D printed electrocatalysts for nitrate reduction to ammonia via various techniques are discussed and experimental demonstrations to substantiate the potential of 3D printed electrocatalysts toward ammonia production are provided, for the first time. In addition, postfabrication treatments, modification, and patterned coating of 3D printed substrates using active materials are also discussed along with the possibilities of fabricating catalysts for ammonia synthesis via nitrogen reduction reaction. Certain limitations and possible solutions of this printing technology for ammonia production are discussed along with the future outlook. Such timely discussions will be interesting for researchers and scientists for enhancing further possibilities toward broadening this field and toward other catalytic applications.

Transition metal dichalcogenide‐based materials for rechargeable aluminum‐ion batteries: A mini‐review

“…[99][100] There are a variety of 3D printing techniques that have been reported in the literature, each of which provides an in-depth explanation of its distinctive characteristics. [101][102][103] Therefore, in this section, we focus only on the three different 3D printing methods that have been implemented for the fabrication of 2D materials in energy storage applications. These are direct ink writing (DIW), fused deposition modelling (FDM), and ink jet printing (IJP).…”

“…[102] In general, the first step for all 3D printing techniques starts with a design model; hence, computer-aided design (CAD) is typically required for the subsequent printing (Figure 8d). [103] Once the 3D model is ready, it is necessary to convert it into STL file format. This is then followed by slicing using the 3D printer software, which subsequently encodes the data into a G-code file.…”

A 60-times faster digital-discovery-compatible reaction setup with enhanced safety for chemical applications

“…The Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) method of 3D printing offers a promising avenue for creating diverse devices suited for applications in organic chemistry. 44–46 At present, 3D printing has found significant utility in chemistry, 47–49 materials science 50 and medicine. 51–56 Representative applications include the fabrication of testers, 57–60 catalysts, 61–65 chemical reactionware, 66–68 electrodes 69–72 and chemical reactors 73–75 as well as the design of personalized medicine 76–79 and prosthetics.…”

Fe-MOF Catalytic Nanoarchitectonic toward Electrochemical Ammonia Production

“…Thus, the nitrate electroreduction can be considered as an eco-friendly and efficient approach of converting aqueous waste nitrate into ammonia under favorable operating conditions. 29 The conversion of nitrate to ammonia involves an eight-electron transfer that proceeds through multiple reaction pathways at a definite potential region 30,31 However, side reactions such as HER can also occur in this region and result in the consumption of electrons for hydrogen generation and eventually in decreased FE and selectivity. Thus, the necessity for designing specific electrocatalysts is of utmost importance, which dismisses both N�N bond formation and competitive HER, and also efficiently reducing nitrate into ammonia is of utmost importance.…”

“…Alternative techniques such as nitrate reduction into ammonia (NRA) have gained momentum for ammonia synthesis, addressing several limitations faced by the aforementioned techniques. − Recognizing the extensive presence of nitrate ions, in the environment, especially as a pollutant in waters, it has been considered as a perfect alternative nitrogen source for ammonia synthesis as well. , Designing a strategy to eradicate a water pollutant like nitrate, which also brings a serious threat to human health, represents an advantage in terms of both energy production and addressing environmental issues. Thus, the nitrate electroreduction can be considered as an eco-friendly and efficient approach of converting aqueous waste nitrate into ammonia under favorable operating conditions . The conversion of nitrate to ammonia involves an eight-electron transfer that proceeds through multiple reaction pathways at a definite potential region , However, side reactions such as HER can also occur in this region and result in the consumption of electrons for hydrogen generation and eventually in decreased FE and selectivity.…”