Mesoporous Au3Pd Film on Ni Foam: A Self-Supported Electrocatalyst for Efficient Synthesis of Ammonia

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2020 Jan 8;12(1):436-442. doi: 10.1021/acsami.9b14187. Epub 2019 Dec 23.

Abstract

As a promising alternative approach to industrial N2 fixation process, electrocatalytic N2 reduction reaction (NRR) can achieve efficient, sustainable, and eco-friendly ammonia production under ambient conditions. Developing efficient NRR catalysts is critical for the electrochemical ammonia synthesis. Herein, self-supported mesoporous Au3Pd film on Ni foam (mAu3Pd/NF) has been in situ synthesized via a micelle-assisted replacement strategy. Combination of bimetallic compositions, interconnected mesoporous structure, and binder-free characteristic, the mAu3Pd/NF shows a superior NRR performance in 0.1 M Na2SO4. This micelle-assisted replacement route is very important to construct efficient self-supporting mesoporous films for the NRR and other fields.

Keywords: electrocatalyst; mesoporous Au3Pd film; micelle-assisted replacement method; nitrogen reduction reaction; self-supported structure.