MoS2 Polymorphic Engineering Enhances Selectivity in the Electrochemical Reduction of Nitrogen to Ammonia

Authors

Bryan H. R Suryanto, Monash University
Dabin Wang, Monash University
Luis Miguel Azofra, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Moussab Harb, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Luigi Cavallo, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Rouhollah Jalili, Royal Melbourne Institute of TechnologyFollow
David R. G Mitchell, University of WollongongFollow
Manjunath Chatti, Monash University
Douglas R. MacFarlane, Monash UniversityFollow

RIS ID

133370

Publication Details

Suryanto, B. H. R., Wang, D., Azofra, L. Miguel., Harb, M., Cavallo, L., Jalili, R., Mitchell, D. R. G., Chatti, M. & MacFarlane, D. R. (2019). MoS2 Polymorphic Engineering Enhances Selectivity in the Electrochemical Reduction of Nitrogen to Ammonia. ACS Energy Letters, 4 (2), 430-435.

Abstract

The electrochemical N2 reduction reaction (NRR) offers a direct pathway to produce NH3 from renewable energy. However, aqueous NRR suffers from both low Faradaic efficiency (FE) and low yield rate. The main reason is the more favored H + reduction to H2 in aqueous electrolytes. Here we demonstrate a highly selective Ru/MoS 2 NRR catalyst on which the MoS2 polymorphs can be controlled to suppress H + reduction. A NRR FE as high as 17.6% and NH 3 yield rate of 1.14 x 10 -10 mol cm -2 s -1 are demonstrated at 50 °C. Theoretical evidence supports a hypothesis that the high NRR activity originates from the synergistic interplay between the Ru clusters as N 2 binding sites and nearby isolated S-vacancies on the 2H-MoS2 as centers for hydrogenation; this supports formation of NH 3 at the Ru/2H-MoS2 interface.

Grant Number

ARC/DP170102267