Abstract

Utilizing N? from the air and water for the electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction shows promise for NH? synthesis under mild conditions. However, the chemical stability of N? and the thermodynamic limitations of NH? synthesis hinder its effectiveness. Herein, we integrated a specially designed Cu nanowire catalyst with a five-fold twin structure (T-CuNW) into an electrocatalytic system, combining electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction with nonthermal plasma-assisted N? activation. This work achieved an NH? yield of 45?mg·mg_cat.^?1·h^?1 and a Faradaic efficiency of over 95% at ?0.5?V versus RHE after a 90-h stability test. In situ characterization revealed that the T-CuNW's twin structure plays a crucial role for the generation of a large quantity of H_ads, essential for the hydrogenation of nitrate intermediates, particularly nitrite (NO?^?). This enhanced hydrogenation process significantly contributes to the high performance of the ammonia synthesis system.