Cited by 1,384Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen ReductionElectrocatalysts for Energy ConversionCO2 Reduction Techniques and Catalysts

The Challenge of Electrochemical Ammonia Synthesis: A New Perspective on the Role of Nitrogen Scaling Relations

Montoya, Joseph H., Tsai, Charlie, Vojvodic, Aleksandra, Nørskov, Jens K.·2015·ChemSusChem

Abstract

The electrochemical production of NH 3 under ambient conditions represents an attractive prospect for sustainable agriculture, but electrocatalysts that selectively reduce N 2 to NH 3 remain elusive. In this work, we present insights from DFT calculations that describe limitations on the low‐temperature electrocatalytic production of NH 3 from N 2 . In particular, we highlight the linear scaling relations of the adsorption energies of intermediates that can be used to model the overpotential requirements in this process. By using a two‐variable description of the theoretical overpotential, we identify fundamental limitations on N 2 reduction analogous to those present in processes such as oxygen evolution. Using these trends, we propose new strategies for catalyst design that may help guide the search for an electrocatalyst that can achieve selective N 2 reduction.

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Crossref · 10.1002/cssc.201500322

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38 of 38 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • To develop cleaner ammonia, chemists may be able to invent electrochemical strategies for lower-temperature ammonia production.

    “To develop cleaner ammonia, chemists may be able to invent electrochemical strategies for lower-temperature ammonia production [551,849].”

    From Tackling climate change with machine learning (2023) · cites this paper as [551]

  • Synthesizing nitrogen-based fertilizers consumes about 2% of global energy consumption.

    “Synthesizing these fertilizers consumes massive amounts of energy, about 2% of global energy consumption [551] (see Section 5.2).”

    From Tackling climate change with machine learning (2023) · cites this paper as [551]

  • Ammonia production for fertilizer use relies upon natural gas to heat up and catalyze the reaction, and accounts for around 2% of global energy consumption.

    “Ammonia production for fertilizer use relies upon natural gas to heat up and catalyze the reaction, and accounts for around 2% of global energy consumption [551].”

    From Tackling climate change with machine learning (2023) · cites this paper as [551]

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Authors
Montoya, J. H., Tsai, C., Vojvodic, A., & Nørskov, J. K.
Affiliations
  • Stanford University (US)
  • SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (US)
Corresponding author
  • Montoya, Joseph H.
  • Nørskov, Jens K.
Venue
ChemSusChem
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2015-06-10
Volume
8
Issue
13
Pages
2180-2186
ISSN
  • 1864-5631 (ISSN-L)
  • 1864-564X
OpenAlex
W2148707525
Cited by
1,384
References
38
Citations by year
2026: 90 · 2025: 127 · 2024: 170 · 2023: 168 · 2022: 219 · 2021: 194 · 2020: 189 · 2019: 125 · 2018: 67 · 2017: 23 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 3
FWCI
11.48
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • ChemSusChem (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Technical University of Denmark, DTU Orbit (Technical University of Denmark, DTU) (submittedVersion)
Funders
National Science Foundation
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Chemical Engineering › Catalysis › Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction
  • Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion
  • Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › CO2 Reduction Techniques and Catalysts
Keywords
electrochemical nitrogen reduction, nitrogen reduction, scaling laws, adsorption energy, overpotential, electrocatalyst design, low-temperature electrocatalysis
MeSH terms
Ammonia, Nitrogen, Oxidation-Reduction, Transition Elements, Electrochemical Techniques

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