Molecular catalysts for electrocatalytic ammonia oxidation

Electrocatalytic ammonia oxidation reaction (eAOR) is of significance to ammonia fuel economy and the production of valuable N-containing products, such as nitrite, nitrate and hydrazine. The study of well-defined molecular catalysts offers rich insights in terms of the detailed mechanism of ammonia oxidation. This review analyzes the thermodynamics of ammonia oxidation reactions and summarizes the current progress in molecular electrocatalysts in this booming field. We emphasized the factors that influence the selectivity of products and further discussed the challenges in designing efficient catalysts.