Nanocrystalline CeMo₂O₈ Catalyst for Electroreduction of N₂ to NH₃

Abstract

Nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) could be a renewable replacement for the energy-intensive Haber−Bosch approach for synthesizing NH 3 . Hence, the electrocatalytic NRR powered by renewable energy sources under milder conditions as a green and sustainable approach for NH 3 production has attracted excellent interest these days. In this approach, electrocatalysts act as the core of the NRR. However, developing efficient electrocatalysts is highly required for this method, as the existing electrocatalysts severely suffer with less activity and selectivity. Herein, we report a metal oxide, CeMo 2 O 8 , as an efficient electrocatalyst for NRR with a notable yield and FE of 55.7 μg h −1 mg −1 cat and 48% at −0.50 V in 0.1 M HCl. The experimental observations of CeMo 2 O 8 have proven that the synergistic interaction between Ce and Mo favors the Ce 4+ /Ce 3+ redox cycle and thus increases the amount of Ce 3+ . The abundant oxygen vacancies in the synthesized electrocatalyst contribute to an elevated activity and selectivity.