Issue 13, 2024

The synergistic catalysis effect on electrochemical nitrate reduction at the dual-function active sites of the heterostructure

Abstract

Advanced design concept of catalysts to drive the efficient electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NITRR) is highly desirable for converting the harmful nitrate (NO3) to ammonia (NH3) as a hydrogen carrier. Herein, the string bead-like nanowire heterostructure derived from the Cu foam electrode (o-CoP/C@Cu3P/CF) is designed to incorporate the advantages of dual-function active sites in the processes of water-splitting and nitrate reduction. In such heterostructures, the theoretical and experimental results confirm that the CoP sites function to accelerate water-splitting to release protons. Furthermore, the Cu3P sites exhibit thermodynamic advantages during adsorption, deoxygenation, and hydrogenation steps of adsorbed intermediates (*NOx). Attributed to the synergistic catalysis effect of the heterostructure, the self-supporting electrode displays an excellent NH3 yield of 1.571 ± 0.046 mmol h−1 cm−2 at a low potential of −0.25 V vs. RHE in 1 M KOH containing of 100 mM NO3. As the NO3 concentration decreases to 50 mM and 20 mM, the NH3-faradaic efficiency reached 96.23 ± 0.55% and 97.02 ± 1.64%, respectively. Thus, aqueous zinc–nitrate batteries could achieve three goals with one action for nitrate removal, ammonia synthesis, and electricity supply.

Graphical abstract: The synergistic catalysis effect on electrochemical nitrate reduction at the dual-function active sites of the heterostructure

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
20 Feb 2024
Accepted
07 May 2024
First published
21 May 2024

Energy Environ. Sci., 2024,17, 4582-4593

The synergistic catalysis effect on electrochemical nitrate reduction at the dual-function active sites of the heterostructure

Y. Li, Z. Lu, L. Zheng, X. Yan, J. Xie, Z. Yu, S. Zhang, F. Jiang and H. Chen, Energy Environ. Sci., 2024, 17, 4582 DOI: 10.1039/D4EE00784K

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