Intermetallic compounds for nitrogen electrochemistry

Abstract

Electrochemical nitrogen transformation techniques represent a burgeoning avenue for nitrogen pollutant remediation and synthesizing valuable nitrogenous products from atmospheric nitrogen. Intermetallic compounds (IMCs) nanocrystals, featured with unique geometric, electronic and functional properties, have emerged as promising candidates. The review discusses various synthesis approaches for IMCs, including thermal annealing, wet chemical synthesis, electrochemical synthesis, and other emerging methods, analyzing their advantages and limitations. Then we summarized the recent advances of IMCs in electrocatalytic nitrogen transformation reactions, such as nitrate reduction reaction, nitric oxide reduction reaction, nitrogen reduction reaction, and hydrazine oxidation reaction. Despite significant progress, challenges remain in the field, particularly in adopting more refined strategies to improve catalyst performance and stability. This review aims to comprehensively understand the structural properties of IMCs and their structure–performance relationship, guiding the development of more efficient and stable catalysts for future nitrogen electrochemistry.

Keywords

• Intermetallic compounds
• Electrocatalysis
• Nitrogen transformation reactions
• Synthesis methods
• Catalyst design