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The major bottlenecks for ammonia (NH3) synthesis under mild conditions are the activation of the extremely inert N≡N bond (941 kJ mol-1) and/or the desorption of NH3 from the catalyst surface. Electron donation from the appropriate promoters is essential to enhance N2 activation over Fe or Ru catalysts. Nevertheless, despite typical element promoters enhancing the N2 activation efficiency, they induce strong NH3 binding on the catalyst surface, leading to the need for high temperatures and pressures for the reaction to complete. Herein, we propose the use of a molecular promoter (C60) to tackle the difficulties. The positioning role of C60 at a 1 nm scale on small Ru nanoclusters drives the exposure of more terrace sites (geometric effect) and induces d-π interactions at the Ru-C60 junctions. The latter electronically modifies the Ru sites (electronic effect), thereby synergistically contributing to N2 and H2 activation as well as to the release of NH3 on the Ru sites. The significant electron buffer attribute of C60 and the strong electronic interaction between Ru and C60 facilitate a shift of d-band center toward the Fermi level and a decrease of work function, simultaneously satisfying the electronic requirements for N2 activation enhancement and NH3 binding weakening. Consequently, the C60-promoted Ru/LaN catalyst exhibits a high NH3 synthesis rate. It is envisioned that our findings have significant implications for the rational search of molecular promoters for high-efficiency NH3 synthesis. © 2025 American Chemical Society.
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ACS Catalysis
Year: 2025
Issue: 4
Volume: 15
Page: 2827-2838
1 1 . 7 0 0
JCR@2023
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ESI Highly Cited Papers on the List: 0 Unfold All
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30 Days PV: 1
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