First-Principles Study of Bimetallic Pairs Embedded on Graphene Co-Doped with N and O for N2 Electroreduction

The electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) is considered a viable alternative to the Haber-Bosch process for ammonia synthesis, and the design of highly active and selective catalysts is crucial for the industrialization of the NRR. Dual-atom catalysts (DACs) with dual active sites offer flexible active sites and synergistic effects between atoms, providing more possibilities for the tuning of catalytic performance. In this study, we designed 48 graphene-based DACs with N₄O₂ coordination (MM'@N₄O₂-G) using density functional theory. Through a series of screening strategies, we explored the reaction mechanisms of the NRR for eight catalysts in depth and revealed the "acceptance-donation" mechanism between the active sites and the N₂ molecules through electronic structure analysis. The study found that the limiting potential of the catalysts exhibited a volcano-shaped relationship with the d-band center of the active sites, indicating that the synergistic effect between the bimetallic components can regulate the d-band center position of the active metal M, thereby controlling the reaction activity. Furthermore, we investigated the selectivity of the eight DACs and identified five potential NRR catalysts. Among them, MoCo@N₄O₂-G showed the best NRR performance, with a limiting potential of -0.20 V. This study provides theoretical insights for the design and development of efficient NRR electrocatalysts.