To develop high-performance and low-cost catalysts for
electrochemical
nitrogen reduction reaction (eNRR) in producing ammonia, a promising
alternative to the Haber–Bosch process continues to be a substantial
challenge. Herein, by using density functional theory calculations,
single-atom-supported pristine and nitrogen-doped (N-doped) graphdiyne
(GDY) monolayer-catalyzed eNRR were investigated to realize high performance
via rational design. Candidate catalysts include 10 different transition-metal
(M = Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Mo, W, Re, and Ru) single-atom-anchored
GDY monolayers (M1/GDY) and three different types of N-doped
(sp
2-N and sp-N) GDY
monolayers (M1/Nn-GDY, n = 1–3),
with 40 single-atom catalysts (SACs). Both Mo1/N3-GDY and
W1/N3-GDY were screened out with rather low theoretical
onset potentials of merely −0.36 and −0.41 V, respectively.
Further investigation of the exemplar Mo1/N3-GDY system
shows that it has high selectivity, stability, and activity toward
ammonia. The synergy effect between single-atom Mo and the confined
flexibility substrate gives rise to self-adjustment of the coordination
microenvironment of Mo1/N3-GDY, that is, this doped first
coordination sphere sp-N is confined, yet shows steric
flexibility, and transfers into sp
2-N
without Mo-N bond formation when single-atom Mo is anchored. Therefore,
the system regulates adsorption pattern and strength of N2and intermediates, and finally boosts the performance. This work
provides a new idea of using a confined flexibility substrate to construct
SACs for efficient synthesis of ammonia at ambient conditions.