Electrochemical Ammonia Synthesis from N2 and H2O Catalyzed by Doped LaFeO3 Perovskite under Mild Conditions

A green route of electrochemical ammonia synthesis was realized for the first time by using doped LaFeO 3 perovskite as an electrocatalyst under mild conditions. The NH 3 formation rate of 13.46 μg NH 3 h –1 mg cat –1 (3.52 × 10 –10 mol s –1 cm –2 ) was achieved with the cell voltage of 2.4 V, and a faradaic efficiency of 1.99% was obtained when a cell voltage of 1.8 V was applied. The electrochemical ammonia synthesis was based on the chemisorption of N 2 molecules on oxygen vacancies in perovskites and the subsequent electrochemical hydrogenation.