Unravelling electronic promotion effects of Fe on Metal Hydride-Carbon Nanocomposites catalysts for ammonia synthesis

This experiment will employ the high-energy-resolution fluorescence-detected X-ray absorption near-edge structure (HERFD-XANES) and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) to investigate novel alkali hydride carbide nanocomposites (AHXCY). These are a promising new class of catalysts for ammonia (NH3) synthesis at moderate temperatures and pressures. We have recently discovered that the addition of minor amounts of Fe nanoparticles (NPs) to these catalysts leads to a remarkable increase in the activity toward ammonia synthesis. Also, the catalysts' performance and stability depend strongly on the Fe content. The origin of these remarkable effects is not yet known. Leveraging the powerful capabilities of HERFD-XANES and RIXS, we will unravel the origin of the high catalytic activity by probing the electronic, chemical and structural properties of Fe in the nanocomposites at different catalytic stages. The insight gained will aid the design of better NH3 synthesis catalysts.