Аннотация:Transition metal nitrides and oxynitrides are promising electrocatalyst for the
electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) [1]. In particular, several recent
publications reported on the exceptional activity in reducing N2 to ammonia for vanadium
nitride, with the active centers being identified as oxynitride phase on the surface of the bulk
VN particles [2]. High activity of nitride and oxynitride phases is frequently attributed to the
nitrogen vacancy-mediated NRR mechanism (Mars−van Krevelen mechanism). Still,
currently, faradaic efficiencies of NH3 production via NRR are extremely low (<10%), which
is mostly due to the high overpotentials needed to activate the triple bond in the N2 molecule
and thus the unfavorable competition with the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), which
requires lower overpotentials.