Realizing efficient ammonia electrosynthesis enabled by metal–organic framework-derived CuCo-LDH

Abstract

Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction for ammonia synthesis enables simultaneous wastewater treatment and ammonia valorization. In this work, CuCo layered bimetallic hydroxides were obtained using ZIF-67 as a template etched by Cu²⁺, where Cu⁺ facilitates NO₃⁻ adsorption and activation while Co sites provide hydrogenation activity. The system achieved an ammonia yield of 7.27 mg h⁻¹ cm⁻² with a Faraday efficiency of 86.2%, maintaining stable operation for 120 hours. Integration of an electrolysis–absorption unit converts nitrate to high-purity (NH₄)₂SO₄, offering a novel strategy for ammonia production.