Electrochemical reduction of nitrate to ammonia in a fluidized electrocatalysis system with oxygen vacancy-rich CuOx nanoparticles

Abstract

In this work, oxygen vacancy-rich CuO_X nanoparticles were fabricated by a laser-irradiation technique, and employed in a fluidized electrocatalysis system for the nitrate reduction reaction (NtrRR) to ammonia. As a result, a large NH₃ yield rate of 449.41 ± 12.18 μg h⁻¹ mg_cat⁻¹ with a faradaic efficiency (FE) of 74.18 ± 2.27% can be achieved at −0.25 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode. The abundant oxygen vacancies of CuO_X nanoparticles highly dispersed in an electrolyte in such a fluidized electrocatalysis system can effectively activate the N–O bond in nitrate, thus improving the selectivity and yield of the NtrRR to ammonia. This work would be helpful for designing and developing high-efficiency electrocatalysts and electrocatalysis systems for the NtrRR to ammonia.