Electrocatalytic Ammonia Oxidation Mediated by a Polypyridyl Iron Catalyst

Abstract

Electrocatalytic ammonia oxidation (AO) mediated by iron(II) tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (TPA) bis-ammine triflate, [(TPA)Fe(NH₃)₂]OTf₂, is reported. Interest in (electro)catalytic AO is growing rapidly, and this report adds a first-row transition metal (iron) complex to the known Ru catalysts recently reported. The featured system is well behaved and has been studied in detail by electrochemical methods. Cyclic voltammetry experiments in the presence of ammonia indicate an onset potential corresponding to ammonia oxidation at 0.7 V vs Fc/Fc⁺. Controlled potential coulometry (CPC) at an applied bias of 1.1 V confirms the generation of 16 equiv of N₂ with a Faradaic efficiency for N₂ of ∼80%. Employing ¹⁵NH₃ yields exclusively ³⁰N₂, demonstrating the conversion of ammonia to N₂. A suite of electrochemical studies is consistent with an initial EC step that generates an Fe^(III)–NH₂ intermediate (at 0.4 V) followed by an anodically shifted catalytic wave. The data indicate a rate-determining step that is first order in both [Fe] and [NH₃] and point to a fast catalytic rate (k_(obs)) of ∼10⁷ M⁻¹·s⁻¹ as computed by foot of the wave analysis (FOWA).