Search

Electrochemical generation of ammonia (NH 3 ) from nitrogen (N 2 ) using renewable electricity is a desirable alternative to current NH 3 production methods, which consume roughly 1 % of the world's total energy use. The use of catalysts to manipulate the required electron and proton transfer reactions with low energy input is also a chemical challenge that requires development of fundamental reaction pathways. This work presents an approach to the electrochemical reduction of N 2 into NH 3 using a coordination complex of aluminum(III), which facilitates NH 3 production at -1.16 V vs. SCE. Reactions performed under 15 N 2 liberate 15 NH 3 . Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopic characterization of a reduced intermediate and investigations of product inhibition, which limit the reaction to sub-stoichiometric, are also presented., (© 2019 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)