Evaluating Ru-RuO₂@BN as a Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for the Nitrogen Reduction Reaction and the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Electrochemical approaches toward clean energy production have been the focus of significant attention. The nitrogen (N₂) reduction reaction (NRR) and the hydrogen (H₂) evolution reaction (HER) offer a promising method for producing NH₃ and H₂, respectively. Nevertheless, practical obstacles that must be overcome in creating optimal catalysts are the sluggish kinetics and low selectivity of NRR and HER. Herein, we report on the synthesis of a Ru–RuO₂-decorated boron nitride (BN) catalyst that shows excellent activity toward NRR. A rate of NH₃ formation (V_NH3) of 16.8 μg h^–1 mg^–1 and a corresponding Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 52.9% were noted at a potential of −0.5 V in 0.1 M HCl. However, the HER activity of Ru–RuO₂@BN was found to be highly suppressed in 0.1 M HCl and did not yield a reasonable overpotential value. Thus, the capability of this material toward NRR suggests its viability as a promising catalyst for clean NH₃ production.