Bionic Design of a Mo(IV)-Doped FeS₂ Catalyst for Electroreduction of Dinitrogen to Ammonia

Abstract

Highly effective catalysts are of great importance for artificial nitrogen fixation. Inspired by the natural nitrogenase, we biomimetically designed an inorganic catalyst, Mo(IV)-doped FeS2, for electroreduction of dinitrogen to ammonia. The Mo(IV) ions favor the adsorption and activation of N2, while the FeS2 substrate depresses the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction, and the two factors jointly endow the catalyst with a high Faraday efficiency of 14.41% at −0.2 V versus RHE.