AUTHOR=Wang Ning , Song Qing-Song , Liu Wen-Jing , Zhang Jian 

TITLE=The Synthesis of V2O3 Nanorings by Hydrothermal Process as an Efficient Electrocatalyst Toward N2 Fixation to NH3

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Energy Research

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/energy-research/articles/10.3389/fenrg.2020.602438

DOI=10.3389/fenrg.2020.602438

ISSN=2296-598X

ABSTRACT=<p>A new ringlike V<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> architecture was successfully synthesized by a template-free hydrothermal method, and the sulfur ions-assisted central-etching mechanism of the ringlike structure was proposed. Herein, as a proof-of-concept experiment, taking V<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> nanorings as non-noble-metal-free nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) catalysts, they show desired electrocatalytic performance toward NRR under ambient conditions (maximum yield: 47.2 µg h<sup>−1</sup> mg<sub>cat.</sub><sup>−1</sup> at −0.6 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode, maximum Faraday efficiency: 12.5% at −0.5 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode), which is significantly higher than those of noble metal-based catalysts.</p>