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Project

Electrocatalytic nitrogen fixation

Nitrogen, widely present in the atmosphere (volume fraction more than 78%),is a rich, low-cost and easily available nitrogen source. However, nitrogen cannot be directly absorbed and utilized by humans, animals, and plants due to its excellent chemical stability. Therefore, the research of nitrogen fixation is of great societal significance. The conventional artificial nitrogen fixation process, such as nitrates and urea production, relies on energy-intensive processes, consuming a large number of global energy. The electrochemical nitrogen fixation is promising to replace the conventional synthesis industry with high energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission. However, electrocatalytic nitrogen fixation is still in its infancy and faces many challenges, such as low reaction rate, poor selectivity, and so on. High-entropy materials (HEMs) include high-entropy alloys (HEAs), high-entropy oxides (HEOs) and other high-entropy materials. Their excellent mechanical properties, high temperature stability, high chemical stability and synergistic effects are expected to make new progress in electrocatalytic nitrogen fixation performance. Therefore, this research work is mainly focused on the preparation of high-entropy materials and the study of their electrocatalytic nitrogen fixation performance. And the density function theory (DFT) calculation and COMSOL Multiphysics simulation will also be utilized to rationally guide the construction of advanced catalyst and reveal the corresponding activity origin.

Date:19 Oct 2021 →  Today
Keywords:High entropy alloys, high entropy oxides, electrocatalytic nitrogen fixation
Disciplines:Nanochemistry
Project type:PhD project