Enhancing electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction activity for using Copper phosphosulfide catalyst

Abstract

Ammonia is a crucial chemical compound used in fertilizer production and is primarily produced through the Haber-Bosch process. However, due to the use of fossil fuels in the Haber-Bosch process, many scientists are conducting research on electrochemical ammonia conversion to produce ammonia in an environmentally friendly manner in the field of engineering and science. Nevertheless, there are challenges associated with NRR, including low current density and Faraday efficiency.[1] Among the catalyst materials aimed at overcoming these challenges, Copper (Cu) is known to be less favorable as a catalyst for NRR compared to the competing reaction, the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, due to its affordability and widespread use in other electrochemical reactions, Cu-based catalysts are being researched for NRR.[2] Taking these factors into consideration, we synthesized Cu3PS4 by combining P and S with Cu and tested its performance in NRR. Furthermore, we confirmed that the observed effects were attributed to the presence of P and S combined with Cu by using TPD and XPS analysis.