MOF-Derived CoO@NC with Core-Shell Structures for N Electrochemical Reduction under Ambient Conditions.

We report the development of MOF-derived nitrogen-doped carbon/CoO nanocomposites (CoO@NCs) with core-shell structures as an efficient electrocatalyst for the artificial nitrogen fixation at room temperature and atmospheric pressure in 0.05 M HSO. It exhibits a high NH yield of 42.58 μg h mg and a faradaic efficiency of 8.5% at -0.2 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode. Experimental results show that the great N reduction reaction performance of CoO@NCs originates from the synergistic effects of N-doped carbon and CoO with significant oxygen vacancy. In addition, we speculate that the core-shell structure can further enhance the electrochemical activity for producing NH.