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Nano Research 2020, 13(1): 209-214 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-019-2600-8
Research Article | Issue | Published: 20 December 2019

FeOOH quantum dots decorated graphene sheet: An efficient electrocatalyst for ambient N2 reduction

Show Author's Information Xiaojuan Zhu1,2,§,  Jinxiu Zhao1,§,  Lei Ji1,  Tongwei Wu1,  Ting Wang1,  Shuyan Gao3,  Abdulmohsen Ali Alshehri4,  Khalid Ahmed Alzahrani4,  Yonglan Luo2,  Yimo Xiang5,  Baozhan Zheng6( ),  Xuping Sun1( )
Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China
Chemical Synthesis and Pollution Control Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637002, China
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
No. 12 Middle School, Chengdu 610041, China
College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China

§ Xiaojuan Zhu and Jinxiu Zhao contributed equally to this work.

Keywords:
N2 reduction reaction, NH3 electrosynthesis, ambient conditions, FeOOH quantum dots decorated graphene sheet
Topics:
Chlorine compoundsElectrocatalystsGrapheneLithium compoundsNanocrystalsSemiconductor quantum dots
Cite this article:
Zhu X, Zhao J, Ji L, et al. FeOOH quantum dots decorated graphene sheet: An efficient electrocatalyst for ambient N2 reduction. Nano Research, 2020, 13(1): 209-214. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-019-2600-8
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Abstract Full text Electronic supplementary material About this article

Electrochemical N2 reduction offers a promising alternative to the Haber-Bosch process for sustainable NH3 synthesis at ambient conditions, but it needs efficient catalysts for the N2 reduction reaction (NRR). Here, we report that FeOOH quantum dots decorated graphene sheet acts as a superior catalyst toward enhanced electrocatalytic N2 reduction to NH3 under ambient conditions. In 0.1 M LiClO4, this hybrid attains a large NH3 yield rate and a high Faradaic efficiency of 27.3 μg·h-1·mg-1cat. and 14.6% at -0.4 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode, respectively, rivalling the current efficiency of all Fe-based NRR electrocatalysts in aqueous media. It also shows strong durability during the electrolytic process.


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About this article

FeOOH quantum dots decorated graphene sheet: An efficient electrocatalyst for ambient N2 reduction

Show Author's information Xiaojuan Zhu1,2,§, Jinxiu Zhao1,§, Lei Ji1, Tongwei Wu1, Ting Wang1, Shuyan Gao3, Abdulmohsen Ali Alshehri4, Khalid Ahmed Alzahrani4, Yonglan Luo2, Yimo Xiang5, Baozhan Zheng6( ), Xuping Sun1( )
Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China
Chemical Synthesis and Pollution Control Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637002, China
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
No. 12 Middle School, Chengdu 610041, China
College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China

§ Xiaojuan Zhu and Jinxiu Zhao contributed equally to this work.

Abstract

Electrochemical N2 reduction offers a promising alternative to the Haber-Bosch process for sustainable NH3 synthesis at ambient conditions, but it needs efficient catalysts for the N2 reduction reaction (NRR). Here, we report that FeOOH quantum dots decorated graphene sheet acts as a superior catalyst toward enhanced electrocatalytic N2 reduction to NH3 under ambient conditions. In 0.1 M LiClO4, this hybrid attains a large NH3 yield rate and a high Faradaic efficiency of 27.3 μg·h-1·mg-1cat. and 14.6% at -0.4 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode, respectively, rivalling the current efficiency of all Fe-based NRR electrocatalysts in aqueous media. It also shows strong durability during the electrolytic process.

Keywords: N2 reduction reaction, NH3 electrosynthesis, ambient conditions, FeOOH quantum dots decorated graphene sheet

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Publication history
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Acknowledgements

Publication history

Received: 07 November 2019
Revised: 02 December 2019
Accepted: 07 December 2019
Published: 20 December 2019
Issue date: January 2020

Copyright

© Tsinghua University Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2019

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 21575137).

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