An amorphous WC thin film enabled high-efficiency N2 reduction electrocatalysis under ambient conditions.

Ambient electrochemical N2 reduction offers a promising alternative to the energy-intensive Haber–Bosch process towards renewable NH3 synthesis in aqueous media but needs efficient electrocatalysts to enable the N2 reduction reaction (NRR). Herein, we propose that an amorphous WC thin film magnetron sputtered onto a graphite foil behaves as a superb NRR electrocatalyst for ambient NH3 production with excellent selectivity. In 0.5 M LiClO4, it attains a large NH3 yield of 43.37 μg h−1 mg−1cat. and a high faradaic efficiency of 21.65% at −0.10 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode. Impressively, this catalyst also shows excellent selectivity and strong durability for NH3 formation.