Enzyme‐Mimetic Single‐Atom Catalyst Design for Green Ammonia Synthesis

Abstract Ammonia (NH 3 ) synthesis plays a vital role in human development, and the renewable‐driven electrochemical approach offers a sustainable pathway for its green production. By drawing inspiration from and structurally mimicking natural enzymes, single‐atom catalysts (SACs) demonstrate huge potential for efficiently electrolyzing molecular nitrogen or nitrate for NH 3 synthesis. In this review, the latest advances in enzyme‐mimetic SACs for NH 3 synthesis are comprehensively summarized and highlight the significance of enzyme mimicry from four key aspects, including active sites, multi‐enzyme complexes, substrate‐binding pockets, and electron/proton transfer pathways. The fundamentals of SACs are first introduced, highlighting their unique advantages and outlining state‐of‐the‐art design strategies and modification methods for performance optimization. The structural characteristics and catalytic mechanisms of nitrogenase, nitrate reductase, and nitrite reductase are then delved into, and elucidate their inspiration for SAC design. Most importantly, representative examples in enzyme‐mimetic SACs for electrochemical nitrogen and nitrate reduction reactions are presented and discuss how multi‐level enzyme mimicry enhances their activity, selectivity, and stability. Additionally, the key design principles of enzyme‐mimetic SACs are summarized, providing guidance for the development of efficient and durable SACs. Finally, the current challenges and limitations in this field are identified and propose future research directions aimed at achieving greener and more efficient NH 3 synthesis.

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Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Energy Materials
Published
2025-06-29
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202501867
Citations
11
Primary Topic
Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
4.28

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article

Enzyme‐Mimetic Single‐Atom Catalyst Design for Green Ammonia Synthesis

Jiarui Yang, Yuhai Dou, Xiaobo Zheng, Zechao Zhuang et al.
11 citations
Advanced Energy Materials
Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction
4.28
article

Enzyme‐Mimetic Single‐Atom Catalyst Design for Green Ammonia Synthesis

Jiarui Yang, Yuhai Dou, Xiaobo Zheng, Zechao Zhuang, Haitao Li, Xiaohui Yang, Dingsheng S. Wang, Yan Zhang, Bing Yu, Yongfu Li
article en
11 citations

Abstract

Abstract Ammonia (NH 3 ) synthesis plays a vital role in human development, and the renewable‐driven electrochemical approach offers a sustainable pathway for its green production. By drawing inspiration from and structurally mimicking natural enzymes, single‐atom catalysts (SACs) demonstrate huge potential for efficiently electrolyzing molecular nitrogen or nitrate for NH 3 synthesis. In this review, the latest advances in enzyme‐mimetic SACs for NH 3 synthesis are comprehensively summarized and highlight the significance of enzyme mimicry from four key aspects, including active sites, multi‐enzyme complexes, substrate‐binding pockets, and electron/proton transfer pathways. The fundamentals of SACs are first introduced, highlighting their unique advantages and outlining state‐of‐the‐art design strategies and modification methods for performance optimization. The structural characteristics and catalytic mechanisms of nitrogenase, nitrate reductase, and nitrite reductase are then delved into, and elucidate their inspiration for SAC design. Most importantly, representative examples in enzyme‐mimetic SACs for electrochemical nitrogen and nitrate reduction reactions are presented and discuss how multi‐level enzyme mimicry enhances their activity, selectivity, and stability. Additionally, the key design principles of enzyme‐mimetic SACs are summarized, providing guidance for the development of efficient and durable SACs. Finally, the current challenges and limitations in this field are identified and propose future research directions aimed at achieving greener and more efficient NH 3 synthesis.

Advanced Energy MaterialsVol. 15(35)
Jiangsu University (CN), Zhejiang A & F University (CN), University of Shanghai for Science and Technology (CN), Xiamen University (CN), Tsinghua University (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China, Natural Science Foundation of Beijing Municipality, Overseas Expertise Introduction Project for Discipline Innovation, Science and Technology Department of Zhejiang Province
Openalex Percentile: Top 5%
Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction
4.28
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