Stability and activity of titanium oxynitride thin films for the electrocatalytic reduction of nitrogen to ammonia at different pH values

Abstract

The production of ammonia for agricultural and energy demands has accelerated research for more environmentally-friendly synthesis options, particularly the electrocatalytic reduction of molecular nitrogen (nitrogen reduction reaction, NRR). Catalyst activity...

Electrocatalytic Reduction of Nitrate to Ammonia at Oxidized Vanadium Surfaces with V(3+) and V(4+) Oxidation States

“…2) results presented here demonstrate that V oxide electrocatalysts formed by ambient exposure of V metal are NO 3 RR-active at pH 3.2, with an FE of 25%-quite high for a low surface-area film. 30,42 The XPS spectra (Fig. 2) also indicate that the active surface consists of predominantly V 3+ and some V 4+ sites, in agreement with theory (Fig.…”

“…, a robust value for a low surface area 2D film surface. Indeed, while similar FE values have been observed for NRR with vanadium oxide or oxynitride thin films, 30,42 these materials display far higher FEs in practical, high surface area form and are among the most promising for NRR applications. 43 However, the significant increment of cathodic current in the presence of sodium nitrate at pH 3.2 compared to Na 2 SO 4 electrolyte at similar pH (Fig.…”