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 NH3. Hence, the electrocatalytic NRR powered by renewable energy sources under milder conditions as a green and sustainable approach for NH3 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, CeMo2O8, as an efficient electrocatalyst for NRR with a notable yield and FE of 55.7 μg h–1 mg–1cat and 48% at −0.50 V in 0.1 M HCl. The experimental observations of CeMo2O8 have proven that the synergistic interaction between Ce and Mo favors the Ce4+/Ce3+ redox cycle and thus increases the amount of Ce3+. The abundant oxygen vacancies in the synthesized electrocatalyst contribute to an elevated activity and selectivity.