Interfacial Engineering of Mo_{x}S_{y} via Boron‐Doping for Electrochemical N₂‐to‐NH₃ Conversion

Merfat M. Alsabban; Karthik Peramaiah; Alessandro Genovese; Rafia Ahmad; Luis Miguel Azofra; Vinoth Ramalingam; Mohamed. N. Hedhili; Nimer Wehbe; Luigi Cavallo; Kuo‐Wei Huang

doi:10.1002/adma.202405578

journal article·2024-12Open access

Interfacial Engineering of Mo_xS_y via Boron‐Doping for Electrochemical N₂‐to‐NH₃ Conversion

Merfat M. Alsabban, Karthik Peramaiah, Alessandro Genovese, Rafia Ahmad, Luis Miguel Azofra, Vinoth Ramalingam, Mohamed. N. Hedhili, Nimer Wehbe, Luigi Cavallo, Kuo‐Wei Huang

Advanced Materials· Volume 36· Issue 51

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Abstract

Abstract The electrocatalytic synthesis of ammonia (NH₃) through the nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) under ambient temperature and pressure is emerging as an alternative approach to the conventional Haber–Bosch process. However, it remains a significant challenge due to poor kinetics, low nitrogen (N₂) solubility in aqueous electrolytes, and the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), which can significantly impact NH₃ production rates and Faradaic efficiency (FE). Herein, a rationally designed boron‐doped molybdenum sulfide (B‐Mo‐Mo_xS_y) electrocatalyst is reported that effectively enhances N₂ reduction to NH₃ with an onset potential of −0.15 V versus RHE, achieving a FE of 78% and an NH₃ yield of 5.83 µg h⁻¹ cm⁻² in a 0.05 m H₂SO₄(aq). Theoretical studies suggest that the effectiveness of NRR originates from electron density redistribution due to boron (B) doping, which provides an ideal pathway for nitrogenous species to bind with electron‐deficient B sites. This work demonstrates a significant exploration, showing that Mo‐based electrocatalysts are capable of facilitating artificial N₂ fixation.

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Research context

Energy storage Catalysis & surfaces

OpenAlex topics: Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction · Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques · Caching and Content Delivery

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Department of Chemistry University of Jeddah Jeddah 21959 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Chemistry Program Center for Renewable Energy and Storage Technologies (CREST) and Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering and KAUST Catalysis Center King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Thuwal 23955–6900 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Institute of Sustainability for Chemicals, Energy, and Environment (ISCE2) Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR) 1 Pesek Road Singapore 627833 Singapore

Core Labs King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Thuwal 23955–6900 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Instituto de Estudios Ambientales y Recursos Naturales (iUNAT) Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC) Campus de Tafira Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 35017 Spain

School of Computing Engineering and Technology Robert Gordon University Garthdee Road Aberdeen Scotland AB10 7GJ United Kingdom

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