New catalysts facilitate efficient and green production of ammonia

Ammonia is one of the most important basic chemicals in the world and has a wide range of uses in modern industrial and agricultural production
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However, the traditional ammonia synthesis process needs to be carried out under high temperature and high pressure conditions, which consumes a lot of energy and causes a large amount of greenhouse gas emissions
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At present, the electrocatalytic ammonia synthesis technology, which can realize ammonia synthesis under normal temperature and pressure, is recognized as a green energy-saving and high-efficiency carbon emission reduction technology
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Among them, designing and preparing electrocatalysts with high activity and stability is the key to the practical application of this technology
.

Recently, the latest research by Prof.
Wu Yuping's research group from Nanjing University of Technology and Prof.
Zhao Yan's research group from Wuhan University of Technology has proved that the new single-atom catalyst "molybdenum single-atom supported two-dimensional boron phosphide catalyst" is a promising electrocatalyst The ammonia synthesis catalyst is expected to greatly improve the yield of ammonia production and reduce the waste of materials and energy
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The related results were published in "Energy and Environmental Materials"
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At present, under the influence of the global low-carbon economy and China's sustainable development strategy, the development of new green synthetic ammonia technology to replace the traditional synthetic ammonia process is one of the current research hotspots
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Among them, the electrocatalytic reduction of nitrogen to synthesize ammonia technology has unique advantages, and is recognized as a green, energy-saving and efficient technology that can realize ammonia synthesis under normal temperature and pressure
.

"The key to the practical application of electrocatalytic ammonia synthesis technology is to design and prepare electrocatalysts with high activity and high stability
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To screen such catalysts, we used defective two-dimensional boron phosphide (BP) as a support material, and then 12 The transition metal single atoms were respectively supported on BP, and a new single-atom ammonia synthesis catalyst was screened out
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" Wu Yuping introduced that the team found through research and screening that the two-dimensional boron phosphide catalyst material supported by molybdenum single atoms not only has efficient nitrogen activation The ability to reduce ammonia synthesis, and at the same time, the performance of inhibiting the competition reaction of hydrogen evolution is also outstanding
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"Ammonia synthesis is essentially a reduction reaction
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Nitrogen molecules have a certain inertness at normal temperature and pressure, and the two-dimensional boron phosphide catalyst material supported by molybdenum single atoms can activate it, thereby promoting the reduction reaction process; and this catalyst also It can reduce the release of hydrogen in the reaction process and inhibit the competitive reaction of hydrogen evolution
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" Liu Zaichun, the first author of the paper and a doctoral student at Nanjing University of Technology, explained that relevant research has proved that the new catalyst is of great significance for the development of high-efficiency carbon emission reduction synthetic ammonia technology
.