Model MoS2@ZIF-71 interface acts as a highly active and selective electrocatalyst for catalyzing ammonia synthesis

It is urgently needed to develop affordable non-precious metal catalysts which can inhibit the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), achieving a large NH3 yield with a high Faraday Efficiency (FE) for electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR). The MoS2@ZIF-71 electrocatalyst comprises a complete encapsulation of zeolitic-imidazole framework-71 over an array of ball-like MoS2 nanoflower. The interface engineering method was used to achieve the desired interface and structure with the enhanced NRR catalytic activity. In this model [email protected] interface, ZIF-71 coating concentrates N2 molecules at the MoS2-ZIF interface through their sorption within the inherent micropores and serves as a hydrophobic barrier to suppress HER, ball-like MoS2 nanoflower with the unique ultrathin subunits provides the rich active edges and sites for NRR. MoS2@ZIF-71 electrocatalyst exhibits a large NH3 yield rate of 56.69 μg h−1 mg−1MoS2 and a high FE of 30.91% at −0.2 V versus RHE under ambient conditions. This research will promote the further development of electrochemical ammonia under ambient conditions.