Cr₂O₃ Nanoparticle-Reduced Graphene\nOxide Hybrid: A Highly Active Electrocatalyst for N₂ Reduction\nat Ambient Conditions

Abstract

Electrochemical\nreduction is an eco-friendly alternative for energy-saving artificial\nN₂ fixation. The development of this process requires efficient\nN₂ reduction reaction (NRR) electrocatalysts to overcome\nthe challenge with N₂ activation. We show that a Cr₂O₃ nanoparticle-reduced graphene oxide hybrid (Cr₂O₃-rGO) is as an outstanding catalyst for electrochemical\nN₂-to-NH₃ conversion under ambient conditions.\nIn 0.1 M HCl, Cr₂O₃-rGO achieves a high NH₃ yield of 33.3 μg h^–1 mg^–1_cat. at −0.7 V vs RHE and a high Faradaic efficiency\nof 7.33% at −0.6 V vs RHE, with excellent selectivity for NH₃ synthesis and stability. Density functional theory calculations\nwere executed to gain further insight into the mechanisms.