Abstract
The effect of several electrode materials on the synthesis of ammonia was studied in a 60-Hz glow discharge at low pressures. It was found that their activity with respect to ammonia formation varied in the following order: Pt>SS>Ag>Fe>Cu>Al>Zn. There is an approximately linear relationship between the yield of ammonia and the electron work function. It appears that a higher work function produces a larger potential gradient near the instantaneous cathodes and a greater efficiency for the formation of the ionic and radical precursors of NH3. Possible correlations between properties of the electrode materials and their activities are discussed in terms of previously reported “catalytic” effects and mechanisms in plasma chemistry.
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Yin, K.S., Venugopalan, M. Plasma chemical synthesis. I. Effect of electrode material on the synthesis of ammonia. Plasma Chem Plasma Process 3, 343–350 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00564632
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00564632