Breaking the Linear Relation in the Dissociation of Nitrogen on Iron Surfaces.

Current industrial ammonia synthesis depends on the Haber-Bosch process, in which the activity of the catalyst is limited by the Brønsted-Evans-Polanyi (BEP) principle and Fe is used as a commercial catalyst. Herein, we found that the dissociation barriers of N2 on Fe(111), Fe(211), Fe(110), and Fe(100) surfaces do not follow the widely accepted BEP principle. N2 dissociation on Fe(111) surface has the smallest adsorption energy and the lowest energetic barrier. Such an abnormal phenomenon can be attributed to charge transfer from Fe surfaces to the anti-bonding orbital (π*) of the absorbed N2 . More charges transferred from the Fe surface to π* of N2 leads to a weaker N≡N triple bond and a lower adsorption energy of N atoms. However, the hydrogenation of N atoms and desorption of NH3 on the four Fe surfaces follow the BEP principle. Therefore, Fe(111) is found to be the most active surface to promote ammonia synthesis, and such a conclusion is also applicable to Ni and Mo surfaces.