title: Electrocatalytic Synthesis of Ammonia at Room Temperature and Atmospheric Pressure from Water and Nitrogen on a Carbon-Nanotube-Based Electrocatalyst.
abstract: Ammonia is synthesized directly from water and N2at room temperature and atmospheric pressure in a flow electrochemical cell operating in gas phase (half-cell for the NH3synthesis). Iron supported on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was used as the electrocatalyst in this half-cell. A rate of ammonia formation of 2.2×10-3gNH3  m-2h-1was obtained at room temperature and atmospheric pressure in a flow of N2, with stable behavior for at least 60 h of reaction, under an applied potential of -2.0 V. This value is higher than the rate of ammonia formation obtained using noble metals (Ru/C) under comparable reaction conditions. Furthermore, hydrogen gas with a total Faraday efficiency as high as 95.1 % was obtained. Data also indicate that the active sites in NH3electrocatalytic synthesis may be associated to specific carbon sites formed at the interface between iron particles and CNT and able to activate N2, making it more reactive towards hydrogenation.
authors.affiliation: Depts. MIFT and ChimBioFarAM (Industrial Chemistry), University of Messina, ERIC aisbl and INSTM/CASPE, V.le F. Stagno D'Alcontres 31, 98166, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Shiming
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Depts. MIFT and ChimBioFarAM (Industrial Chemistry), University of Messina, ERIC aisbl and INSTM/CASPE, V.le F. Stagno D'Alcontres 31, 98166, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Siglinda
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8814-1972
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perathoner
authors.affiliation: Depts. MIFT and ChimBioFarAM (Industrial Chemistry), University of Messina, ERIC aisbl and INSTM/CASPE, V.le F. Stagno D'Alcontres 31, 98166, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7048-976X
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ampelli
authors.affiliation: Depts. MIFT and ChimBioFarAM (Industrial Chemistry), University of Messina, ERIC aisbl and INSTM/CASPE, V.le F. Stagno D'Alcontres 31, 98166, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Chalachew
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mebrahtu
authors.affiliation: Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, 116023, Dalian, China.
authors.forename: Dangsheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Depts. MIFT and ChimBioFarAM (Industrial Chemistry), University of Messina, ERIC aisbl and INSTM/CASPE, V.le F. Stagno D'Alcontres 31, 98166, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-5626-9840
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Centi
keywords: ammonia; atmospheric pressure; carbon nanotubes; electrochemistry; heterogeneous catalysis