Electrochemical Hydrogenation with Gaseous Ammonia

Hydrogenation without H₂! Ammonia, the renewable and carbon‐free fuel is known as a high‐energy‐density hydrogen‐storage material. Now the room‐temperature electrochemical hydrogenation of alkenes, alkynes and ketones was achieved with ammonia gas at atmospheric pressure (balloon) at room temperature with carbon electrodes.

Abstract

As a carbon‐free and sustainable fuel, ammonia serves as high‐energy‐density hydrogen‐storage material. It is important to develop new reactions able to utilize ammonia as a hydrogen source directly. Herein, we report an electrochemical hydrogenation of alkenes, alkynes, and ketones using ammonia as the hydrogen source and carbon electrodes. A variety of heterocycles and functional groups, including for example sulfide, benzyl, benzyl carbamate, and allyl carbamate were well tolerated. Fast stepwise electron transfer and proton transfer processes were proposed to account for the transformation.

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