A research team from Dalian University of Technology has made new progress in the field of the mechanism of electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reactions

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【Dalian University of Technology’s research team makes new progress in the mechanism of electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction】According to Dalian University of Technology, ammonia and ammonium salts are important raw materials in modern industry (in fields such as chemicals, light industry, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, and synthetic fibers). The traditional industrial Haber-Bosch process for ammonia synthesis involves reacting nitrogen and hydrogen under high temperature and pressure conditions. The entire ammonia synthesis industry consumes more than 1% of the world’s total energy supply each year; its consumption of natural gas accounts for 3%-5% of global natural gas production. Additionally, it releases over 300 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. Therefore, it is urgent to develop sustainable green process technologies that do not disrupt the carbon cycle to replace the Haber-Bosch ammonia synthesis process. In recent years, the use of renewable energy to achieve electrochemical nitrogen reduction under mild conditions has attracted increasing attention and has gradually become one of the hot topics in the field of catalysis. However, at present, electrochemical nitrogen reduction reactions are plagued by issues such as a low rate of ammonia production and a low Faradaic efficiency. To overcome these problems, it is crucial to understand more deeply the active sites and reaction pathways of catalysts based on their reaction mechanisms, so as to develop highly efficient electrocatalysts for nitrogen reduction, which is key to achieving electrochemical nitrogen fixation. Currently, research on the mechanism of electrochemical nitrogen reduction relies primarily on theoretical computational simulations, lacking support from direct experimental results. Recently, inspired by the iron-molybdenum active factors in biological nitrogenase, academicians such as Sun Licheng and researcher Li Fusheng from the **Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals developed tungsten-iron bimetallic sulfide catalysts using bimetallic oxides as substrates, and via an anion exchange strategy, applied these catalysts to the electrocatalytic reduction of nitrogen gas. Experimental methods were used to identify the rate-determining step in the electrochemical nitrogen reduction process carried out by these catalysts; the findings were published in Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. This work provides important experimental and theoretical guidance for the study of the rate-determining step in the electrocatalytic reduction of nitrogen, offering a new perspective for understanding the reaction mechanism of electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction. It is understood that the **Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals was established in 1989, and passed the **evaluation in September 1995, after which it was officially opened to the public. The current chairman of the laboratory’s academic committee is Academician Tong Zhenhe, while the director of the laboratory is Academician Peng Xiaojun. The research directions of the laboratory include dyes and their photochemistry, new materials in fine chemical industry, and clean preparation technologies for fine chemicals. The soluble, high-temperature resistant resin developed in the laboratory is an essential material for aerospace ； Underwater sonar absorption materials, radar stealth materials, and eco-friendly tires are all at the leading level. Currently, efforts are being made to develop key new materials such as nuclear pump bushings and electrodes for high-capacity lithium-sulfur batteries. The coal chemical syngas purification technology developed in the laboratory accounts for over 90% of domestic industrial applications ； More than 30 sets of low-carbon alkyl aromatization systems at a scale of 10,000 tons have been put into large-scale use ； Membrane technology has made significant contributions to the recovery of petroleum exhaust gases, the elimination of oil spills in the air, and the reduction of pollution. Key technologies such as large-scale wind tunnel cooling are currently under investigation.