Kinetics of Li-Mediated N ₂ Electroreduction

Electrochemical ammonia production is a possible sustainable alternative to the energy-intense Haber-Bosch process. An active and selective catalyst for electrochemical nitrogen reduction is thus highly desired. Developing a more active and selective catalyst requires detailed kinetic studies; however, poor selectivity and low rates of nitrogen electroreduction on many candidate materials challenge kinetic analysis. Li-mediated nitrogen electroreduction provides sufficient nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) rates for kinetic analysis. In this issue of Joule, Manthiram and coworkers perform a detailed examination of NRR kinetics for this system. They further use the obtained information to optimize the reaction conditions for electrochemical ammonia formation.