Summary
- Major: Chemistry and Education
- Faculty Mentor: Dr. Christopher Barile
- Research Topic: Nitrogen Reduction Reaction for Efficient Ammonia Synthesis
- New Scholar: 2025 Cohort
- Graduating with a Baccalaureate Degree: Fall 2028
Abstract
Electrochemical nitrogen reduction offers a sustainable alternative to the conventional Haber-Bosch process for ammonia production, but its practical application is limited by strong N2 triple bonds and the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). This study investigates nitrogen reduction using self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) by examining the effects of chain length on molecular packing and how hydrophobicity and functional groups impact efficiency and ammonia production rates. Overall, this work aims to demonstrate that molecular overlayers improve catalyst hydrophobicity, Faradaic efficiency, ammonia production rate, durability, and current density, providing valuable insights into the nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) mechanism and guiding future catalyst design.