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Abstract

Ammonia (NH 3 ) synthesis by the electrochemical N 2 reduction reaction (NRR) is increasingly studied and proposed as an alternative process to overcome the disadvantages of Haber-Bosch synthesis by a more energy-efficient, carbon-free, delocalized, and sustainable process. An ever-increasing number of scientists are working on the improvement of the faradaic efficiency (FE) and NH 3 production rate by developing novel catalysts, electrolyte concepts, and/or theoretical studies. This minireview provides a critical view on the interplay of different crucial aspects in NRR from the electrolyte, over the mechanism of catalytic activation of N 2 , to the full electrochemical cell. Five critical questions are asked, discussed and answered always coupled with a summary of recent developments in the respective field. This article is not supposed to be a complete summary of recent research about NRR but provides a rather critical view on the field. It is the major aim to give an overview over crucial influences on different length scales to shine light on the sweet spots into which room for revolutionary instead of incremental improvements may exist.