Nitrogenase Bioelectrocatalysis: From Understanding Electron-Transfer Mechanisms to Energy Applications

Nitrogenase is the only enzyme known to reduce molecular nitrogen to ammonia, so it has been an oxidoreductase enzyme of great interest to the electrofuels and catalysis communities, as people consider the design of bioinspired nitrogen reduction catalysts for the production of ammonia. This Perspective details the use of nitrogenase as an electrocatalyst to learn mechanistic information about the electron-transfer mechanism as an inspiration for molecular and metal-based electrocatalysts and for a variety of energy applications, including energy-efficient ammonia production and biofuel cells. This Perspective also addresses the issues and challenges of nitrogenase bioelectrocatalysis that will need to be addressed in the coming years.