Multiphasic 1T@2H MoSe2 as a highly efficient catalyst for the N2 reduction to NH3

Abstract The NH3 is generally synthesized by the traditional Haber−Bosch method, which is energy-consuming and releases a lot of CO2. Electrocatalytic fixation of N2 is highlighted as a carbon-free route to generate NH3 by the nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR), but strongly demands highly efficient and durable electrocatalysts. Herein, we propose the multiphasic 1T@2H-MoSe2 as a highly active NRR catalyst for the first time, which exhibits excellent activity for the NRR with a NH3 yield of 19.91 ± 0.89 μg h−1 mgcat.−1 and a FE of 2.82% ± 0.1% at −0.6 V in 0.1 M Na2SO4. Moreover, a good durability is also demonstrated.