Electrochemical reduction of nitrate to hydroxylamine on gold electrode

Abstract

In this study, we explore the efficacy of gold (Au) as a selective electrocatalyst for the reduction of nitrate to hydroxylamine, a valuable nitrogen-based chemical, while also evaluating the by-product formation of ammonia. We systematically optimized various experimental parameters including nitrate concentration, pH, and applied potential. We found that at an applied potential of −0.7 V vs. RHE in 0.1 M HNO₃, Au achieves a 230.1 ± 19 μmol NH₂OH h⁻¹ cm⁻² yield, with a 34.2 ± 2.8% faradaic efficiency. This study underscores the potential of Au as an efficient and selective electrocatalyst for generating value-added nitrogen products through an electrochemical pathway.