Amorphous/Crystalline Hetero-Phase TiO2 -Coated α-Fe2 O3 Core-Shell Nanospindles: A High-Performance Artificial Nitrogen Fixation Electrocatalyst.

Electrochemical nitrogen fixation techniques have emerged as a promisingly sustainable approach to face the challenge associated with nitrogen activation of ammonia synthesis by the Haber-Bosch process under ambient conditions. Herein, the performance of electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction for the production of α-Fe2 O3 nanospindles coated with mesoporous TiO2 with different crystallinity [denoted as α-Fe2 O3 @mTiO2 -X (X=300, 400, and 500 °C)] were investigated. The as-prepared α-Fe2 O3 @mTiO2 -400 composite exhibits a large NH3 yield (27.2 μg h-1  mgcat. -1 ) at -0. 5 V vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode and a high Faradaic efficiency (13.3 %) in 0.1 m Na2 SO4 , with excellent electrochemical durability. This work presents a novel avenue for the rational design of efficient unique hetero-phase nanocatalysts toward sustainable electrocatalytic N2 fixation.