Active hydrogen boosts electrochemical nitrate reduction to ammonia

2022/12/27 by Kui Fan, Wenfu Xie, Jinze Li +5 · 6 citations
Chemical Engineering · Computer Science · Energy · #Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques #Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction #Caching and Content Delivery

paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/s41467-022-35664-w

openalex publication_date 2022/12/27 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31

Abstract

Abstract Electrochemical nitrate reduction to ammonia is a promising alternative strategy to the traditional Haber-Bosch process but suffers from a low Faradaic efficiency and limited ammonia yield due to the sluggish multi-electron/proton-involved steps. Herein, we report a typical hollow cobalt phosphide nanosphere electrocatalyst assembled on a self-supported carbon nanosheet array synthesized with a confinement strategy that exhibits an extremely high ammonia yield rate of 8.47 mmol h −1 cm −2 through nitrate reduction reaction, which is highly superior to previously reported values to our knowledge. In situ experiments and theoretical investigations reveal that the dynamic equilibrium between the generation of active hydrogen on cobalt phosphide and its timely consumption by nitrogen intermediates leads to a superior ammonia yield with a high Faradaic efficiency. This unique insight based on active hydrogen equilibrium provides new opportunities for large-scale ammonia production through electrochemical techniques and can be further used for carbon dioxide capture.

Citations

• Projector augmented-wave method
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• Unveiling the Activity Origin of a Copper‐based Electrocatalyst for Selective Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia
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• Key role of chemistry versus bias in electrocatalytic oxygen evolution
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• Proton-filtering covalent organic frameworks with superior nitrogen penetration flux promote ambient ammonia synthesis
• Electrochemical ammonia synthesis via nitrate reduction on Fe single atom catalyst
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• Pd doping-weakened intermediate adsorption to promote electrocatalytic nitrate reduction on TiO ₂ nanoarrays for ammonia production and energy supply with zinc–nitrate batteries
• Nitrogen reduction to ammonia at high efficiency and rates based on a phosphonium proton shuttle
• Selective electrocatalytic synthesis of urea with nitrate and carbon dioxide
• Theoretical Insights into Superior Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia Performance of Copper Catalysts
• Elucidating the activity, mechanism and application of selective electrosynthesis of ammonia from nitrate on cobalt phosphide
• Splicing the active phases of copper/cobalt-based catalysts achieves high-rate tandem electroreduction of nitrate to ammonia

Cited by

• Ammonia Electrosynthesis from Nitrate Using a Ruthenium–Copper Cocatalyst System: A Full Concentration Range Study
• Boosting Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia via Promoting Water Dissociation
• Exposure of Active Metal Sites on Cu ₁₄ Nanoclusters for Highly Selective Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction
• Cobalt-Based Electrocatalysts for Sustainable Nitrate Conversion: Structural Design and Mechanistic Advancements
• Unveiling the Reaction Mechanism of Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia Over Cobalt-Based Electrocatalysts
• Recent Advances in Electrocatalysts for Efficient Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia

Related

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