电化学NRR合成氨被认为是一种有前途的方法,因为它具有零污染排放的优点,可行的反应程序,良好的安全性和易于管理。已经做出了多项努力,以探索地球丰富的元素为基础的纳米材料作为实现其工业应用的高效电催化剂。其中,Ni基纳米材料被优先考虑作为催化NRR的有吸引力的非贵金属电催化剂,因为它们是地球丰度的,非常容易合成,并且还具有高电催化活性和耐久性的潜力。在这次审查中,在简要阐明电化学过程中NRR的潜在机制后,系统总结了近年来具有代表性的镍基电催化剂的研究进展,包括单金属镍基纳米材料,双金属镍基纳米材料,多金属镍基纳米材料,等。特别是,我们讨论了物理化学性质的影响,如阶段,结晶度形态学,composition,缺陷,杂原子掺杂,和应变工程,对上述电催化剂的综合性能,目的是建立电催化剂的纳米结构-功能关系。此外,指出并强调了镍基电催化剂在NRR中的应用前景。这篇综述中的通用方法可能会扩展NRR的前沿,并为开发高效的镍基电催化剂提供灵感。
The electrochemical NRR to synthesize ammonia is considered as a promising method due to its approvable advantages of zero-pollution emission, feasible reaction proceedings, good safety and easy management. The multiple efforts have been devoted to the exploration of earth-abundant-element-based nanomaterials as high-efficiency electrocatalysts for realizing their industrial applications. Among these, the Ni-based nanomaterials is prioritized as an attractive non-noble-metal electrocatalysts for catalyzing NRR because they are earth-abundance and exceedingly easy to synthesize as well as also delivers the potential of high electrocatalytic activity and durability. In this review, after briefly elucidating the underlying mechanisms of NRR during the electrochemical process, we systematically sum up the recent research progress in representative Ni-based electrocatalysts, including monometallic Ni-based nanomaterials, bimetallic Ni-based nanomaterials, polymetallic Ni-based nanomaterials, etc. In particular, we discuss the effects of physicochemical properties, such as phases, crystallinity, morphology, composition, defects, heteroatom doping, and strain engineering, on the comprehensive performance of the abovementioned electrocatalysts, with the aim of establishing the nanostructure-function relationships of the electrocatalysts. In addition, the promising directions of Ni-based electrocatalysts for NRR are also pointed out and highlighted. The generic approach in this review may expand the frontiers of NRR and provides the inspiration for developing high-efficiently Ni-based electrocatalysts.