Tackling the Activity and Selectivity Challenges of Electrocatalysts toward the Nitrogen Reduction Reaction via Atomically Dispersed Biatom Catalysts

Across the Board: Federico Bella on Electrochemical Nitrogen Reduction

In this series of articles, the board members of ChemSusChem discuss recent research articles that they consider of exceptional quality and importance for sustainability. This entry features Prof. F. Bella, who discusses the electrochemical reduction of nitrogen to produce ammonia through the addition of protons and electrons under mild conditions (25 °C, 1 atm). This reaction has the potential to replace the energy-intensive traditional Haber-Bosch process but faces several challenges and pitfalls.

Isolated diatomic Zn–Fe in N-doped carbon for electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction to ammonia

Diatomic Zn–Fe anchored on N-doped carbon exhibits high electrocatalytic performance for ambient nitrogen reduction.

AlN4-Graphene as an efficient catalyst for CO oxidation: a DFT study

DFT investigations suggest that AlN₄-Gr shows high stability and superior catalytic performance towards CO oxidation without CO poisoning.

Adsorption, diffusion and aggregation of Ir atoms on graphdiyne: a first-principles investigation

Shifting the atomic diffusion thermodynamics, e.g. with involvement reactants, etc., would initiate the thermodynamically favorable aggregation of Ir atoms into clusters on graphdiyne.