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Cheng T, Xing Z, Zhang N, Sun P, Peng H, Li Z, Wang N, Zhou W. Ti 3C 2 quantum dots-modified oxygen-vacancy-rich BiOBr hollow microspheres toward optimized photocatalytic performance. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 364:143255. [PMID: 39233298 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.143255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2024] [Revised: 08/04/2024] [Accepted: 09/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024]
Abstract
The Ti3C2 quantum dots (QDs)/oxygen-vacancy-rich BiOBr hollow microspheres composite photocatalyst was prepared using solvothermal synthesis and electrostatic self-assembly techniques. Together, Ti3C2QDs and oxygen vacancies (OVs) enhanced photocatalytic activity by broadening light absorption and improving charge transfer and separation processes, resulting in a significant performance boost. Meanwhile, the photocatalytic efficiency of Ti3C2 QDs/BiOBr-OVs is assessed to investigate its capability for oxygen evolution and degradation of tetracycline (TC) and Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible-light conditions. The rate of oxygen production is observed to be 5.1 times higher than that of pure BiOBr-OVs, while the photocatalytic degradation rates for TC and RhB is up to 97.27% and 99.8%, respectively. The synergistic effect between Ti3C2QDs and OVs greatly enhances charge separation, leading to remarkable photocatalytic activity. Furthermore, the hollow microsphere contributes to the enhanced photocatalytic performance by facilitating multiple light scatterings and providing ample surface-active sites. The resultant Ti3C2QDs/BiOBr-OVs composite photocatalyst demonstrates significant potential for environmental applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Cheng
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, PR China
| | - Zipeng Xing
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, PR China.
| | - Na Zhang
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, PR China
| | - Peng Sun
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, PR China
| | - Hui Peng
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, PR China
| | - Zhenzi Li
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, Shandong, 250353, PR China
| | - Nan Wang
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Jiyang College, Zhejiang A&F University, Zhuji 311800, PR China.
| | - Wei Zhou
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, Shandong, 250353, PR China.
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2
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Zhang JJ, Lou YY, Wu Z, Huang XJ, Sun SG. Spatially Separated Cu/Ru on Ordered Mesoporous Carbon for Superior Ammonia Electrosynthesis from Nitrate over a Wide Potential Window. J Am Chem Soc 2024. [PMID: 39197103 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c06657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/30/2024]
Abstract
Nitrate (NO3-) in wastewater poses a serious threat to human health and the ecological environment. The electrocatalytic NO3- reduction to ammonia (NH3) reaction (NO3-RR) emerges as a promising carbon-free energy route for enabling NO3- removal and sustainable NH3 synthesis. However, it remains a challenge to achieve high Faraday efficiencies at a wide potential window due to the complex multiple-electron reduction process. Herein, spatially separated dual-metal tandem electrocatalysts made of a nitrogen-doped ordered mesoporous carbon support with ultrasmall and high-content Cu nanoparticles encapsulated inside and large and low-content Ru nanoparticles dispersed on the external surface (denoted as Ru/Cu@NOMC) are designed. In electrocatalytic NO3-RR, the Cu sites can quickly convert NO3- to adsorbed NO2- (*NO2-), while the Ru sites can efficiently produce active hydrogen (*H) to enhance the kinetics of converting *NO2- to NH3 on the Cu sites. Due to the synergistic effect between the Cu and Ru sites, Ru/Cu@NOMC exhibits a maximum NH3 Faradaic efficiency (FENH3) of approximately 100% at -0.1 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) and a high NH3 yield rate of 1267 mmol gcat-1 h-1 at -0.5 V vs RHE. Finite element method (FEM) simulation and electrochemical in situ Raman spectroscopy revealed that the mesoporous framework can enhance the intermediate concentration due to the in situ confinement effect. Thanks to the Cu-Ru synergistic effect and the mesopore confinement effect, a wide potential window of approximately 500 mV for FENH3 over 90% and a superior stability for NH3 production over 156 h can be achieved on the Ru/Cu@NOMC catalyst.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Jia Zhang
- Particle Engineering Laboratory, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, and Suzhou Key Laboratory of Novel Semiconductor-optoelectronics Materials and Devices, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, P. R. China
| | - Yao-Yin Lou
- Particle Engineering Laboratory, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, and Suzhou Key Laboratory of Novel Semiconductor-optoelectronics Materials and Devices, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, P. R. China
| | - Zhangxiong Wu
- Particle Engineering Laboratory, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, and Suzhou Key Laboratory of Novel Semiconductor-optoelectronics Materials and Devices, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
| | - Xiaoyang Jerry Huang
- Center of Advanced Electrochemical Energy, Institute of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Shi-Gang Sun
- Center of Advanced Electrochemical Energy, Institute of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
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Jang W, Oh D, Lee J, Kim J, Matthews JE, Kim H, Lee SW, Lee S, Xu Y, Yu JM, Hwang SW, Jaramillo TF, Jang JW, Cho S. Homogeneously Mixed Cu-Co Bimetallic Catalyst Derived from Hydroxy Double Salt for Industrial-Level High-Rate Nitrate-to-Ammonia Electrosynthesis. J Am Chem Soc 2024. [PMID: 39177778 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c07061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) presents an innovative approach for sustainable NH3 production. However, selective NH3 production is hindered by the multiple intermediates involved in the NO3RR process and the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction. Hence, the development of highly efficient NO3RR catalysts is paramount. Herein, we report highly efficient bimetallic catalysts derived from hydroxy double salt (HDS). Under NO3RR conditions, Cu1Co1-HDS undergoes in situ reconstruction, forming nanocomposites of homogeneously distributed metallic Cu0 and Co(OH)2. Reconstruction-induced Cu0 rapidly converts NO3- to NO2-, which is further hydrogenated to NH3 by Co(OH)2. Homogeneously mixed Cu and Co species maximize this synergistic effect, achieving outstanding NO3RR performance including the highest NH3 yield rate (4.625 mmol h-1 cm-2) reported for powder-type NO3RR catalysts. Integration of Cu1Co1-HDS with a commercial Si solar cell attained 4.53% solar-to-ammonia efficiency from industrial wastewater-level concentrations of NO3- (2000 ppm), demonstrating practical application potential for solar-driven NH3 production. This study provides a strategy for enhancing the NH3 yield rate by optimizing the compositions and distributions of Cu and Co.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wonsik Jang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Dongrak Oh
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, United States
| | - Jinyoung Lee
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Jongkyoung Kim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Jesse E Matthews
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, United States
| | - Hyoseok Kim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Won Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, United States
| | - Seunghyun Lee
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Yi Xu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, United States
| | - Je Min Yu
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Seon Woo Hwang
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Thomas F Jaramillo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, United States
| | - Ji-Wook Jang
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Seungho Cho
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
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4
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Sam DK, Li H, Xu YT, Cao Y. Advances in porous carbon materials for a sustainable future: A review. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 333:103279. [PMID: 39208622 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2024.103279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 08/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/17/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Developing clean and renewable energy sources is key to a sustainable future. For human society to progress sustainably, environmentally friendly energy conversion and storage technologies are critical. The use of nanostructured advanced functional materials heavily influences the functionality of these systems. Porous carbons are multifunctional materials boasting considerable industrial utility. They possess many remarkable physiochemical and mechanical characteristics which have garnered interest in various fields. In this review, the application of porous carbon materials in electrocatalysis (HER, OER, ORR, NARR, and CO2RR) and rechargeable batteries (LIBs, LiS batteries, NIBs, and KIBs) for renewable energy conversion and storage are discussed. The suitability of porous carbon materials for these applications is discussed, and some recent works are reviewed. Finally, a few viewpoints on developing porous carbons in electrocatalysis and rechargeable batteries are given. This review aims to generate interest in current and upcoming researchers in porous carbon application for a sustainable future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Kobina Sam
- School of Energy Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Guangzhou 510640, China; Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy, Guangzhou 510640, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New and Renewable Energy Research and Development, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Heyu Li
- Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy, Guangzhou 510640, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New and Renewable Energy Research and Development, Guangzhou 510640, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yan-Tong Xu
- Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy, Guangzhou 510640, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New and Renewable Energy Research and Development, Guangzhou 510640, China; School of Advanced Energy, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China.
| | - Yan Cao
- School of Energy Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Guangzhou 510640, China; Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy, Guangzhou 510640, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New and Renewable Energy Research and Development, Guangzhou 510640, China.
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5
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Chao G, Wang J, Zong W, Fan W, Xue T, Zhang L, Liu T. Single-atom catalysts for electrocatalytic nitrate reduction into ammonia. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2024; 35:432001. [PMID: 39105490 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/ad64d9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
Ammonia (NH3) is a versatile and important compound with a wide range of uses, which is currently produced through the demanding Haber-Bosch process. Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction into ammonia (NRA) has recently emerged as a sustainable approach for NH3synthesis under ambient conditions. However, the NRA catalysis is a complex multistep electrochemical process with competitive hydrogen evolution reaction that usually results in poor selectivity and low yield rate for NH3synthesis. With maximum atom utilization and well-defined catalytic sites, single atom catalysts (SACs) display high activity, selectivity and stability toward various catalytic reactions. Very recently, a number of SACs have been developed as promising NRA electrocatalysts, but systematical discussion about the key factors that affect their NRA performance is not yet to be summarized to date. This review focuses on the latest breakthroughs of SACs toward NRA catalysis, including catalyst preparation, catalyst characterization and theoretical insights. Moreover, the challenges and opportunities for improving the NRA performance of SACs are discussed, with an aim to achieve further advancement in developing high-performance SACs for efficient NH3synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guojie Chao
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, People's Republic of China
- Jiangsu Engineering Research Center of New Energy Vehicle Energy Saving and Battery Safety, WUXI Institute of Technology, Wuxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Zong
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Fan
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Tiantian Xue
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Longsheng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Tianxi Liu
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, People's Republic of China
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6
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Li J, Valenza R, Haussener S. In Situ Synthesis of Cu xO/N Doped Graphdiyne with Pyridine N Configuration for Ammonia Production via Nitrate Reduction. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2310467. [PMID: 38552223 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202310467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
Electroreduction of nitrate to ammonia provides an interesting pathway for wastewater treatment and valorization. Cu-based catalysts are active for the conversion of NO3 - to NO2 - but suffer from an inefficient hydrogenation process of NO2 -. Herein, CuxO/N-doped graphdiyne (CuxO/N-GDY) with pyridine N configuration are in situ prepared in one pot. Benefiting from the synergistic effect of pyridinic N in GDY and CuxO, the prepared CuxO/N-GDY tested in a commercial H-cell achieved a faradaic efficiency of 85% toward NH3 at -0.5 V versus RHE with a production rate of 340 µmol h-1 mgcat -1 in 0.1 M KNO3. When integrating the CuxO/N-GDY in an anion exchange membrane flow electrolyzer, a maximum Faradaic efficiency of 89% is achieved at a voltage of 2.3 V and the production rate is 1680 µmol h-1 mgcat -1 at 3.3 V in 0.1 M KNO3 at room temperature. Operation at 40 °C further promoted the overall reaction kinetics of NO3 - to NH3, but penalized its selectivity with respect to hydrogen evolution reaction. The high selectivity and production rate in this device configuration demonstrate its potential for industrial application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Li
- Laboratory of Renewable Energy Science and Engineering, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, EPFL, Station 9, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Roberto Valenza
- Laboratory of Renewable Energy Science and Engineering, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, EPFL, Station 9, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Sophia Haussener
- Laboratory of Renewable Energy Science and Engineering, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, EPFL, Station 9, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
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7
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Qu K, Zhu X, Zhang Y, Song L, Wang J, Gong Y, Liu X, Wang AL. Enhancing Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia Through Crystal Phase Engineering: Unveiling the Hydrogen Bonding Effect in δ-FeOOH Electrocatalysis. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2401327. [PMID: 38429245 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202401327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Crystal phase engineering has emerged as a powerful tool for tailoring the electrocatalytic performance, yet its impact on nitrate reduction to ammonia (NRA) remains largely uncharted territory. Herein, density functional theory (DFT) calculations are performed to unravel the influence of the crystal phase of FeOOH on the adsorption behavior of *NO3. Inspiringly, FeOOH samples with four distinct crystal phases (δ, γ, α, and β) are successfully synthesized and deployed as electrocatalysts for NRA. Remarkably, among all FeOOH samples, δ-FeOOH demonstrates the superior NRA performance, achieving a NH3 Faradic efficiency (FE NH 3 $\rm{FE} _ {\rm{NH_3}}$ ) of 90.2% at -1.0 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) and a NH3 yield rate (Yield NH 3 $\rm{Yield} _ {\rm{NH_3}}$ ) of 5.73 mg h-1 cm-2 at -1.2 V. In-depth experiments and theoretical calculations unveil the existence of hydrogen bonding interaction between δ-FeOOH and *NOx, which not only enhances the adsorption of *NOx but also disrupts the linear relationships between the free energy of *NO3 adsorption and various parameters, including limiting potential, d-band center (εd) and transferred charge from FeOOH to *NO3, ultimately contributing to the exceptional NRA performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiyu Qu
- Key Laboratory for Colloid and Interface Chemistry Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250100, China
- Suzhou Research Institute, Shandong University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China
| | - Xiaojuan Zhu
- Key Laboratory for Colloid and Interface Chemistry Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250100, China
- Suzhou Research Institute, Shandong University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Colloid and Interface Chemistry Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250100, China
- Suzhou Research Institute, Shandong University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China
| | - Leyang Song
- Key Laboratory for Colloid and Interface Chemistry Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250100, China
- Suzhou Research Institute, Shandong University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Key Laboratory for Colloid and Interface Chemistry Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250100, China
- Suzhou Research Institute, Shandong University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China
| | - Yushuang Gong
- Key Laboratory for Colloid and Interface Chemistry Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250100, China
| | - Xiang Liu
- Key Laboratory for Colloid and Interface Chemistry Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250100, China
| | - An-Liang Wang
- Key Laboratory for Colloid and Interface Chemistry Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250100, China
- Suzhou Research Institute, Shandong University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China
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8
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Zhou B, Yu L, Zhang W, Liu X, Zhang H, Cheng J, Chen Z, Zhang H, Li M, Shi Y, Jia F, Huang Y, Zhang L, Ai Z. Cu 1-Fe Dual Sites for Superior Neutral Ammonia Electrosynthesis from Nitrate. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202406046. [PMID: 38771293 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202406046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 05/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
The electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) is able to convert nitrate (NO3 -) into reusable ammonia (NH3), offering a green treatment and resource utilization strategy of nitrate wastewater and ammonia synthesis. The conversion of NO3 - to NH3 undergoes water dissociation to generate active hydrogen atoms and nitrogen-containing intermediates hydrogenation tandemly. The two relay processes compete for the same active sites, especially under pH-neutral condition, resulting in the suboptimal efficiency and selectivity in the electrosynthesis of NH3 from NO3 -. Herein, we constructed a Cu1-Fe dual-site catalyst by anchoring Cu single atoms on amorphous iron oxide shell of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) for the electrochemical NO3RR, achieving an impressive NO3 - removal efficiency of 94.8 % and NH3 selectivity of 99.2 % under neutral pH and nitrate concentration of 50 mg L-1 NO3 --N conditions, greatly surpassing the performance of nZVI counterpart. This superior performance can be attributed to the synergistic effect of enhanced NO3 - adsorption on Fe sites and strengthened water activation on single-atom Cu sites, decreasing the energy barrier for the rate-determining step of *NO-to-*NOH. This work develops a novel strategy of fabricating dual-site catalysts to enhance the electrosynthesis of NH3 from NO3 -, and presents an environmentally sustainable approach for neutral nitrate wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biao Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, Engineering Research Center of Photoenergy Utilization for Pollution Control and Carbon Reduction of Ministry of Education, Institute of Applied & Environmental Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, P. R. China
| | - Linghao Yu
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, Engineering Research Center of Photoenergy Utilization for Pollution Control and Carbon Reduction of Ministry of Education, Institute of Applied & Environmental Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, P. R. China
| | - Weixing Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, Engineering Research Center of Photoenergy Utilization for Pollution Control and Carbon Reduction of Ministry of Education, Institute of Applied & Environmental Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, P. R. China
| | - Xupeng Liu
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, Engineering Research Center of Photoenergy Utilization for Pollution Control and Carbon Reduction of Ministry of Education, Institute of Applied & Environmental Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, P. R. China
| | - Hao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, Engineering Research Center of Photoenergy Utilization for Pollution Control and Carbon Reduction of Ministry of Education, Institute of Applied & Environmental Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, P. R. China
| | - Jundi Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, Engineering Research Center of Photoenergy Utilization for Pollution Control and Carbon Reduction of Ministry of Education, Institute of Applied & Environmental Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, P. R. China
| | - Ziyue Chen
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, Engineering Research Center of Photoenergy Utilization for Pollution Control and Carbon Reduction of Ministry of Education, Institute of Applied & Environmental Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, P. R. China
| | - Hao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, Engineering Research Center of Photoenergy Utilization for Pollution Control and Carbon Reduction of Ministry of Education, Institute of Applied & Environmental Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, P. R. China
| | - Meiqi Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, P. R. China
| | - Yanbiao Shi
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, P. R. China
| | - Falong Jia
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, Engineering Research Center of Photoenergy Utilization for Pollution Control and Carbon Reduction of Ministry of Education, Institute of Applied & Environmental Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, P. R. China
| | - Yi Huang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, Engineering Research Center of Photoenergy Utilization for Pollution Control and Carbon Reduction of Ministry of Education, Institute of Applied & Environmental Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, P. R. China
| | - Lizhi Zhang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, P. R. China
| | - Zhihui Ai
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, Engineering Research Center of Photoenergy Utilization for Pollution Control and Carbon Reduction of Ministry of Education, Institute of Applied & Environmental Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, P. R. China
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9
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Chen X, Cheng Y, Zhang B, Zhou J, He S. Gradient-concentration RuCo electrocatalyst for efficient and stable electroreduction of nitrate into ammonia. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6278. [PMID: 39054325 PMCID: PMC11272931 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50670-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction to ammonia holds great promise for developing green technologies for electrochemical ammonia energy conversion and storage. Considering that real nitrate resources often exhibit low concentrations, it is challenging to achieve high activity in low-concentration nitrate solutions due to the competing reaction of the hydrogen evolution reaction, let alone considering the catalyst lifetime. Herein, we present a high nitrate reduction performance electrocatalyst based on a Co nanosheet structure with a gradient dispersion of Ru, which yields a high NH3 Faraday efficiency of over 93% at an industrially relevant NH3 current density of 1.0 A/cm2 in 2000 ppm NO3- electrolyte, while maintaining good stability for 720 h under -300 mA/cm2. The electrocatalyst maintains high activity even in 62 ppm NO3- electrolyte. Electrochemical studies, density functional theory, electrochemical in situ Raman, and Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy confirm that the gradient concentration design of the catalyst reduces the reaction energy barrier to improve its activity and suppresses the catalyst evolution caused by the expansion of the Co lattice to enhance its stability. The gradient-driven design in this work provides a direction for improving the performance of electrocatalytic nitrate reduction to ammonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinhong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Science, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
| | - Yumeng Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Science, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jia Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Science, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, China.
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China.
| | - Sisi He
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Science, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, China.
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China.
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10
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Wang M, Li S, Gu Y, Xu W, Wang H, Sun J, Chen S, Tie Z, Zuo JL, Ma J, Su J, Jin Z. Polynuclear Cobalt Cluster-Based Coordination Polymers for Efficient Nitrate-to-Ammonia Electroreduction. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:20439-20448. [PMID: 38993055 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c06098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
The electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (NITRR) holds great promise for purifying wastewater and producing valuable ammonia (NH3). However, the lack of efficient electrocatalysts has impeded the achievement of highly selective NH3 synthesis from the NITRR. In this study, we report the design and synthesis of two polynuclear Co-cluster-based coordination polymers, {[Co2(TCPPDA)(H2O)5]·(H2O)9(DMF)} and {Co1.5(TCPPDA)[(CH3)2NH2]·(H2O)6(DMF)2} (namely, NJUZ-2 and NJUZ-3), which possess distinct coordination motifs with well-defined porosity, high-density catalytic sites, accessible mass transfer channels, and nanoconfined chemical environments. Benefitting from their intriguing multicore metal-organic coordination framework structures, NJUZ-2 and NJUZ-3 exhibit remarkable catalytic activities for the NITRR. At a potential of -0.8 V (vs. RHE) in an H-type cell, they achieve an optimal Faradaic efficiency of approximately 98.5% and high long-term durability for selective NH3 production. Furthermore, the electrocatalytic performance is well maintained even under strongly acidic conditions. When operated under an industrially relevant current density of 469.9 mA cm-2 in a flow cell, a high NH3 yield rate of up to 3370.6 mmol h-1 g-1cat. was observed at -0.5 V (vs. RHE), which is 20.1-fold higher than that obtained in H-type cells under the same conditions. Extensive experimental analyses, in combination with theoretical computations, reveal that the great enhancement of the NITRR activity is attributed to the preferential adsorption of NO3- and the reduction in energy input required for the hydrogenation of *NO3 and *NO2 intermediates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, MOE Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry, MOE Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer Materials and Technology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Materials, Tianchang New Materials and Energy Technology Research Center, Research Institute of Green Chemistry and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, P. R. China
| | - Shufan Li
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210094, P. R. China
| | - Yuming Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, MOE Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry, MOE Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer Materials and Technology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Materials, Tianchang New Materials and Energy Technology Research Center, Research Institute of Green Chemistry and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, P. R. China
| | - Wenjie Xu
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230029, P. R. China
| | - Huaizhu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, MOE Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry, MOE Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer Materials and Technology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Materials, Tianchang New Materials and Energy Technology Research Center, Research Institute of Green Chemistry and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, P. R. China
| | - Jingjie Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, MOE Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry, MOE Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer Materials and Technology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Materials, Tianchang New Materials and Energy Technology Research Center, Research Institute of Green Chemistry and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, P. R. China
| | - Shuangming Chen
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230029, P. R. China
| | - Zuoxiu Tie
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, MOE Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry, MOE Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer Materials and Technology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Materials, Tianchang New Materials and Energy Technology Research Center, Research Institute of Green Chemistry and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, P. R. China
| | - Jing-Lin Zuo
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, MOE Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry, MOE Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer Materials and Technology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Materials, Tianchang New Materials and Energy Technology Research Center, Research Institute of Green Chemistry and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, P. R. China
| | - Jing Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, MOE Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry, MOE Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer Materials and Technology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Materials, Tianchang New Materials and Energy Technology Research Center, Research Institute of Green Chemistry and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, P. R. China
| | - Jian Su
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, MOE Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry, MOE Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer Materials and Technology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Materials, Tianchang New Materials and Energy Technology Research Center, Research Institute of Green Chemistry and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, P. R. China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210094, P. R. China
| | - Zhong Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, MOE Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry, MOE Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer Materials and Technology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Materials, Tianchang New Materials and Energy Technology Research Center, Research Institute of Green Chemistry and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, P. R. China
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11
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Fan J, Arrazolo LK, Du J, Xu H, Fang S, Liu Y, Wu Z, Kim JH, Wu X. Effects of Ionic Interferents on Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction: Mechanistic Insight. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:12823-12845. [PMID: 38954631 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c03949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Nitrate, a prevalent water pollutant, poses substantial public health concerns and environmental risks. Electrochemical reduction of nitrate (eNO3RR) has emerged as an effective alternative to conventional biological treatments. While extensive lab work has focused on designing efficient electrocatalysts, implementation of eNO3RR in practical wastewater settings requires careful consideration of the effects of various constituents in real wastewater. In this critical review, we examine the interference of ionic species commonly encountered in electrocatalytic systems and universally present in wastewater, such as halogen ions, alkali metal cations, and other divalent/trivalent ions (Ca2+, Mg2+, HCO3-/CO32-, SO42-, and PO43-). Notably, we categorize and discuss the interfering mechanisms into four groups: (1) loss of active catalytic sites caused by competitive adsorption and precipitation, (2) electrostatic interactions in the electric double layer (EDL), including ion pairs and the shielding effect, (3) effects on the selectivity of N intermediates and final products (N2 or NH3), and (4) complications by the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and localized pH on the cathode surface. Finally, we summarize the competition among different mechanisms and propose future directions for a deeper mechanistic understanding of ionic impacts on eNO3RR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinling Fan
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
- Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center of Industrial Boiler & Furnace Flue Gas Pollution Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Leslie K Arrazolo
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Jiaxin Du
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
- Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center of Industrial Boiler & Furnace Flue Gas Pollution Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Huimin Xu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
- Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center of Industrial Boiler & Furnace Flue Gas Pollution Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Siyu Fang
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
- Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center of Industrial Boiler & Furnace Flue Gas Pollution Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Yue Liu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
- Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center of Industrial Boiler & Furnace Flue Gas Pollution Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhongbiao Wu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
- Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center of Industrial Boiler & Furnace Flue Gas Pollution Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Jae-Hong Kim
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Xuanhao Wu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
- Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center of Industrial Boiler & Furnace Flue Gas Pollution Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
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12
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Shen Z, Chen G, Cheng X, Xu F, Huang H, Wang X, Yang L, Wu Q, Hu Z. Self-enhanced localized alkalinity at the encapsulated Cu catalyst for superb electrocatalytic nitrate/nitrite reduction to NH 3 in neutral electrolyte. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadm9325. [PMID: 38985876 PMCID: PMC11235175 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adm9325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
The electrocatalytic nitrate/nitrite reduction reaction (eNOx-RR) to ammonia (NH3) is thermodynamically more favorable than the eye-catching nitrogen (N2) electroreduction. To date, the high eNOx-RR-to-NH3 activity is limited to strong alkaline electrolytes but cannot be achieved in economic and sustainable neutral/near-neutral electrolytes. Here, we construct a copper (Cu) catalyst encapsulated inside the hydrophilic hierarchical nitrogen-doped carbon nanocages (Cu@hNCNC). During eNOx-RR, the hNCNC shell hinders the diffusion of generated OH- ions outward, thus creating a self-enhanced local high pH environment around the inside Cu nanoparticles. Consequently, the Cu@hNCNC catalyst exhibits an excellent eNOx-RR-to-NH3 activity in the neutral electrolyte, equivalent to the Cu catalyst immobilized on the outer surface of hNCNC (Cu/hNCNC) in strong alkaline electrolyte, with much better stability for the former. The optimal NH3 yield rate reaches 4.0 moles per hour per gram with a high Faradaic efficiency of 99.7%. The strong-alkalinity-free advantage facilitates the practicability of Cu@hNCNC catalyst as demonstrated in a coupled plasma-driven N2 oxidization with eNOx-RR-to-NH3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Shen
- Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE and Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory for Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Guanghai Chen
- Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE and Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory for Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Xueyi Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE and Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory for Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Fengfei Xu
- Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE and Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory for Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Hongwen Huang
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, P. R. China
| | - Xizhang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE and Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory for Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Lijun Yang
- Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE and Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory for Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Qiang Wu
- Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE and Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory for Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Zheng Hu
- Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE and Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory for Nanotechnology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
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13
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Wei J, Li Y, Lin H, Lu X, Zhou C, Li YY. Copper-based electro-catalytic nitrate reduction to ammonia from water: Mechanism, preparation, and research directions. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ECOTECHNOLOGY 2024; 20:100383. [PMID: 38304117 PMCID: PMC10830547 DOI: 10.1016/j.ese.2023.100383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Global water bodies are increasingly imperiled by nitrate pollution, primarily originating from industrial waste, agricultural runoffs, and urban sewage. This escalating environmental crisis challenges traditional water treatment paradigms and necessitates innovative solutions. Electro-catalysis, especially utilizing copper-based catalysts, known for their efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and eco-friendliness, offer a promising avenue for the electro-catalytic reduction of nitrate to ammonia. In this review, we systematically consolidate current research on diverse copper-based catalysts, including pure Cu, Cu alloys, oxides, single-atom entities, and composites. Furthermore, we assess their catalytic performance, operational mechanisms, and future research directions to find effective, long-term solutions to water purification and ammonia synthesis. Electro-catalysis technology shows the potential in mitigating nitrate pollution and has strategic importance in sustainable environmental management. As to the application, challenges regarding complexity of the real water, the scale-up of the commerical catalysts, and the efficient collection of produced NH3 are still exist. Following reseraches of catalyst specially on long term stability and in situ mechanisms are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Chucheng Zhou
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Special Functional Materials & Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory for Advance Technology of Ceramics, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, PR China
| | - Ya-yun Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Special Functional Materials & Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory for Advance Technology of Ceramics, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, PR China
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14
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Murphy E, Sun B, Rüscher M, Liu Y, Zang W, Guo S, Chen YH, Hejral U, Huang Y, Ly A, Zenyuk IV, Pan X, Timoshenko J, Cuenya BR, Spoerke ED, Atanassov P. Synergizing Fe 2O 3 Nanoparticles on Single Atom Fe-N-C for Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia at Industrial Current Densities. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2401133. [PMID: 38619914 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202401133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
The electrochemical reduction of nitrates (NO3 -) enables a pathway for the carbon neutral synthesis of ammonia (NH3), via the nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR), which has been demonstrated at high selectivity. However, to make NH3 synthesis cost-competitive with current technologies, high NH3 partial current densities (jNH3) must be achieved to reduce the levelized cost of NH3. Here, the high NO3RR activity of Fe-based materials is leveraged to synthesize a novel active particle-active support system with Fe2O3 nanoparticles supported on atomically dispersed Fe-N-C. The optimized 3×Fe2O3/Fe-N-C catalyst demonstrates an ultrahigh NO3RR activity, reaching a maximum jNH3 of 1.95 A cm-2 at a Faradaic efficiency (FE) for NH3 of 100% and an NH3 yield rate over 9 mmol hr-1 cm-2. Operando XANES and post-mortem XPS reveal the importance of a pre-reduction activation step, reducing the surface Fe2O3 (Fe3+) to highly active Fe0 sites, which are maintained during electrolysis. Durability studies demonstrate the robustness of both the Fe2O3 particles and Fe-Nx sites at highly cathodic potentials, maintaining a current of -1.3 A cm-2 over 24 hours. This work exhibits an effective and durable active particle-active support system enhancing the performance of the NO3RR, enabling industrially relevant current densities and near 100% selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eamonn Murphy
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National Fuel Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Baiyu Sun
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National Fuel Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Martina Rüscher
- Department of Interface Science, Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Yuanchao Liu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National Fuel Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Wenjie Zang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Shengyuan Guo
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National Fuel Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Yu-Han Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National Fuel Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Uta Hejral
- Department of Interface Science, Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ying Huang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Alvin Ly
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Iryna V Zenyuk
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National Fuel Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Xiaoqing Pan
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Janis Timoshenko
- Department of Interface Science, Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Beatriz Roldán Cuenya
- Department of Interface Science, Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Erik D Spoerke
- Sandia National Laboratories, Energy Storage Technologies & Systems, Albuquerque, NM, 87185, USA
| | - Plamen Atanassov
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National Fuel Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
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15
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Jiang Y, Liu S, Cheng Q, He Y, Huan Y, Liu J, Zhou X, Wang M, Yan C, Qian T. Built-In Positive Valence Space Shifting the Chemical Equilibrium Forward for Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia. Inorg Chem 2024; 63:12146-12155. [PMID: 38946339 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.4c01264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
The electrochemical conversion of nitrate pollutants into value-added ammonia (NH3) is an appealing alternative synthetic route for sustainable NH3 production. However, the development of the electrocatalytic nitrate-to-ammonia reduction reaction (NO3RR) has been hampered by unruly reactants and products at the interface and the accompanied sluggish kinetic rate. In this work, a built-in positive valence space is successfully constructed over FeCu nanocrystals to rationally regulate interfacial component concentrations and positively shift the chemical equilibrium. With positive valence Cu optimizing the active surface, the space between the stern and shear layers becomes positive, which is able to continuously attract the negatively charged NO3- reactant and repulse the positively charged NH4+ product even under high current density, thus significantly boosting the NO3RR kinetics. The system with a built-in positive valence space affords an ampere-level NO3RR performance with the highest NH3 yield rate of 150.27 mg h-1 mg-1 at -1.3 V versus RHE with an outstanding NH3 current density of 189.53 mA cm-2, as well as a superior Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 97.26% at -1.2 V versus RHE. The strategy proposed here underscores the importance of interfacial concentration regulation and can find wider applicability in other electrochemical syntheses suffering from sluggish kinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhuo Jiang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, China
| | - Sisi Liu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, China
| | - Qiyang Cheng
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, College of Energy, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
| | - Yanzheng He
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, College of Energy, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
| | - Yunfei Huan
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, China
| | - Jie Liu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, China
| | - Xi Zhou
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, China
| | - Mengfan Wang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, College of Energy, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
| | - Chenglin Yan
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, College of Energy, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
- School of Petrochemical Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Tao Qian
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, China
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16
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Zhang W, Zhou Y, Zhu Y, Guo Y, Zhang B, Zhang LH, Li F, Yu F. Boosting Electrochemical Nitrate Reduction at Low Concentrations Through Simultaneous Electronic States Regulation and Proton Provision. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024:e2404792. [PMID: 38923291 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202404792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Electrochemically converting nitrate (NO3 -) into ammonia (NH3) has emerged as an alternative strategy for NH3 production and effluent treatment. Nevertheless, the electroreduction of dilute NO3 - is still challenging due to the competitive adsorption between various aqueous species and NO3 -, and unfavorable water dissociation providing *H. Herein, a new tandem strategy is proposed to boost the electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) performance of Cu nanoparticles supported on single Fe atoms dispersed N-doped carbon (Cu@Fe1-NC) at dilute NO3 - concentrations (≤100 ppm NO3 --N). The optimized Cu@Fe1-NC presents a FENH3 of 97.7% at -0.4 V versus RHE, and a significant NH3 yield of 1953.9 mmol h-1 gCu -1 at 100 ppm NO3 --N, a record-high activity for dilute NO3RR. The metal/carbon heterojunctions in Cu@Fe1-NC enable a spontaneous electron transfer from Cu to carbon substrate, resulting in electron-deficient Cu. As a result, the electron-deficient Cu facilitates the adsorption of NO3 - compared with the pristine Cu. The adjacent atomic Fe sites efficiently promote water dissociation, providing abundant *H for the hydrogenation of *NOx e at Cu sites. The synergistic effects between Cu and single Fe atom sites simultaneously decrease the energy barrier for NO3 - adsorption and hydrogenation, thereby enhancing the overall activity of NO3 - reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenlin Zhang
- National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Energy Conservation in Chemical Process Integration and Resources Utilization, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300130, P. R. China
| | - Yuzhuo Zhou
- National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Energy Conservation in Chemical Process Integration and Resources Utilization, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300130, P. R. China
| | - Yong Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, P. R. China
| | - Yabo Guo
- National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Energy Conservation in Chemical Process Integration and Resources Utilization, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300130, P. R. China
| | - Bo Zhang
- National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Energy Conservation in Chemical Process Integration and Resources Utilization, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300130, P. R. China
| | - Lu-Hua Zhang
- National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Energy Conservation in Chemical Process Integration and Resources Utilization, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300130, P. R. China
| | - Fei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, P. R. China
| | - Fengshou Yu
- National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Energy Conservation in Chemical Process Integration and Resources Utilization, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300130, P. R. China
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17
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Zhu J, Lu XF, Luan D, Lou XWD. Metal-Organic Frameworks Derived Carbon-Supported Metal Electrocatalysts for Energy-Related Reduction Reactions. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024:e202408846. [PMID: 39031731 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202408846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2024] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/22/2024]
Abstract
Electrochemical reduction reactions, as cathodic processes in many energy-related devices, significantly impact the overall efficiency determined mainly by the performance of electrocatalysts. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) derived carbon-supported metal materials have become one of star electrocatalysts due to their tunable structure and composition through ligand design and metal screening. However, for different electroreduction reactions, the required active metal species vary in phase component, electronic state, and catalytic center configuration, hence requiring effective customization. From this perspective, this review comprehensively analyzes the structural design principles, metal loading strategies, practical electroreduction performance, and complex catalytic mechanisms, thereby providing insights and guidance for the future rational design of such electroreduction catalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawei Zhu
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China
- Hong Kong Branch of National Precious Metals Material Engineering Research Center, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Xue Feng Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Photocatalysis on Energy and Environment, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350108, China
| | - Deyan Luan
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Xiong Wen David Lou
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China
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18
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Yang C, Peng Q, Dong L, Xing D, Lu J, Fu Y, Cai F, Chen C, Wang C, Guo C. Promoting Electrochemical Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia on Silver Nanocrystals Doped with Iron Series Elements. CHEMSUSCHEM 2024:e202400648. [PMID: 39031817 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202400648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/22/2024]
Abstract
Electrochemical nitrate reduction to ammonia (NRA) is a promising approach to remove environmental pollutants while producing green NH3 under ambient conditions. Ag-based nanomaterials have been used in NRA but their iron series elements (Fe, Co, Ni) doping has not been explored yet. Herein, an effective and versatile doping strategy of Ag nanocrystals by iron series elements for efficient NRA is presented. Experimental results show that doping with Fe, Co or Ni can improve the NRA activity. Among the catalysts, AgCo delivers the best performance with a Faraday efficiency (FE) of 88.3 % and ammonia selectivity of 97.4 % at-0.23 V vs RHE, which is 1.9 and 6.2 times higher than that of plain Ag (46.4 % FE and 15.8 % selectivity), respectively. A highest NO3 - conversion rate of AgCo (91.8 %) is achieved, which maintains 16.4 ppm NO3 --N in 4 hours, meeting the drinking water level (~15 ppm NO3 --N). Moreover, the FE, selectivity, conversion rate of AgCo do not decay after the four consecutive cycles. It is found that Co doping can effectively induce the change of Ag d-band center for optimized NRA. This work reveals doping effects of iron series elements on Ag-based catalysts, and shows potential practical application in NRA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyuan Yang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215011, P. R. China
| | - Quanxiao Peng
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Liuqi Dong
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215011, P. R. China
| | - Dandan Xing
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Jixue Lu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215011, P. R. China
| | - Yuhan Fu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215011, P. R. China
| | - Feier Cai
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215011, P. R. China
| | - Chen Chen
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215011, P. R. China
| | - Changhong Wang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215011, P. R. China
| | - Chunxian Guo
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215011, P. R. China
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19
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Feng J, Zhang W, Shi D, Jia Y, Tang Y, Meng Y, Gao Q. Restructuring multi-phase interfaces from Cu-based metal-organic frameworks for selective electroreduction of CO 2 to C 2H 4. Chem Sci 2024; 15:9173-9182. [PMID: 38903213 PMCID: PMC11186311 DOI: 10.1039/d4sc00967c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Multi-phase interfaces are promising for surmounting the energy barriers of electrochemical CO2 reduction involving multiple electron transfer steps, but challenges still remain in constructing interfacial micro-structures and unraveling their dynamic changes and working mechanism. Herein, highly active Ag/Cu/Cu2O heterostructures are in situ electrochemically restructured from Ag-incorporating HKUST-1, a Cu-based metal-organic framework (MOF), and accomplish efficient CO2-to-C2H4 conversion with a high faradaic efficiency (57.2% at -1.3 V vs. RHE) and satisfactory stability in flow cells, performing among the best of recently reported MOFs and their derivatives. The combination of in/ex situ characterizations and theoretical calculations reveals that Ag plays a crucial role in stabilizing Cu(i) and increasing the CO surface coverage, while the active Cu/Cu2O interfaces significantly reduce the energy barrier of C-C coupling toward the boosted ethylene production. This work not only proves MOFs as feasible precursors to derive efficient electrocatalysts on site, but also provides in-depth understanding on the working interfaces at an atomic level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiye Feng
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Supramolecular Coordination Materials and Applications, Jinan University Guangzhou 510632 P. R. China
| | - Wenbiao Zhang
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Supramolecular Coordination Materials and Applications, Jinan University Guangzhou 510632 P. R. China
- Department of Chemistry, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Collaborative Innovation Centre of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Fudan University Shanghai 200433 P. R. China
| | - Danni Shi
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Supramolecular Coordination Materials and Applications, Jinan University Guangzhou 510632 P. R. China
| | - Yingshuai Jia
- Department of Chemistry, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Collaborative Innovation Centre of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Fudan University Shanghai 200433 P. R. China
| | - Yi Tang
- Department of Chemistry, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Collaborative Innovation Centre of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Fudan University Shanghai 200433 P. R. China
| | - Yuying Meng
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Supramolecular Coordination Materials and Applications, Jinan University Guangzhou 510632 P. R. China
| | - Qingsheng Gao
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Supramolecular Coordination Materials and Applications, Jinan University Guangzhou 510632 P. R. China
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20
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Huang X, Li Y, Xie S, Zhao Q, Zhang B, Zhang Z, Sheng H, Zhao J. The Tandem Nitrate and CO 2 Reduction for Urea Electrosynthesis: Role of Surface N-Intermediates in CO 2 Capture and Activation. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202403980. [PMID: 38588065 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202403980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Electrochemical reduction of CO2 and nitrate offers a promising avenue to produce valuable chemicals through the using of greenhouse gas and nitrogen-containing wastewater. However, the generally proposed reaction pathway of concurrent CO2 and nitrate reduction for urea synthesis requires the catalysts to be both efficient in both CO2 and nitrate reduction, thus narrowing the selection range of suitable catalysts. Herein, we demonstrate a distinct mechanism in urea synthesis, a tandem NO3 - and CO2 reduction, in which the surface amino species generated by nitrate reduction play the role to capture free CO2 and subsequent initiate its activation. When using the TiO2 electrocatalyst derived from MIL-125-NH2, it intrinsically exhibits low activity in aqueous CO2 reduction, however, in the presence of both nitrate and CO2, this catalyst achieves an excellent urea yield rate of 43.37 mmol ⋅ g-1 ⋅ h-1 and a Faradaic efficiency of 48.88 % at -0.9 V vs. RHE in a flow cell. Even at a low CO2 level of 15 %, the Faradaic efficiency of urea synthesis remains robust at 42.33 %. The tandem reduction procedure was further confirmed by in situ spectroscopies and theoretical calculations. This research provides new insights into the selection and design of electrocatalysts for urea synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingmiao Huang
- Key Laboratory of Photochemistry, Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, 100190, Beijing, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Yangfan Li
- Key Laboratory of Photochemistry, Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, 100190, Beijing, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Shijie Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemical, Frontiers Science Center for Smart Materials Oriented Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, 116024, Dalian, P. R. China
| | - Qi Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Photochemistry, Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, 100190, Beijing, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Boyang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Photochemistry, Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, 100190, Beijing, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Zhiyong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Photochemistry, Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, 100190, Beijing, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Hua Sheng
- Key Laboratory of Photochemistry, Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, 100190, Beijing, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Jincai Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Photochemistry, Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, 100190, Beijing, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, P. R. China
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21
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Zhang C, Zhang Y, Deng R, Yuan L, Zou Y, Bao T, Zhang X, Wei G, Yu C, Liu C. Enabling Logistics Automation in Nanofactory: Cobalt Phosphide Embedded Metal-Organic Frameworks for Efficient Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2313844. [PMID: 38615269 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202313844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (NitRR) in neutral condition offers a promising strategy for green ammonia synthesis and wastewater treatment, the rational design of electrocatalysts is the cornerstone. Inspired by modern factory design where both machines and logistics matter for manufacturing, it is reported that cobalt phosphide (CoP) nanoparticles embedded in zinc-based zeolite imidazole frameworks (Zn-ZIF) function as a nanofactory with high performance. By selective phosphorization of ZnCo bimetallic zeolite imidazole framework (ZnCo-ZIF), the generated CoP nanoparticles act as "machines" (active sites) for molecular manufacturing (NO3 - to NH4 + conversion). The purposely retained framework (Zn-ZIFs) with positive charge promotes logistics automation, i.e., the automatic delivery of NO3 - reactants and timely discharge of NH4 + products in-and-out the nanofactory due to electrostatic interaction. Moreover, the interaction between Zn-ZIF and CoP modulates the Co sites into electron insufficient state with upshifted d-band center, facilitating the reduction/hydrogenation of NO3 - to ammonia and restricting the competitive hydrogen evolution. Consequently, the assembled CoP/Zn-ZIF nanofactory exhibits superior NitRR performances with a high Faraday efficiency of ≈97% and a high ammonia yield of 0.89 mmol cm-1 h-1 in neutral condition, among the best of reported electrocatalysts. The work provides new insights into the design principles of efficient NitRR electrocatalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaoqi Zhang
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, P. R. China
| | - Yue Zhang
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, P. R. China
| | - Rong Deng
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, P. R. China
| | - Ling Yuan
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, P. R. China
| | - Yingying Zou
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, P. R. China
| | - Tong Bao
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, P. R. China
| | - Xinchan Zhang
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, P. R. China
| | - GuangFeng Wei
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Chemical Assessment and Sustainability, School of Chemical Science and Engineering, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, P. R. China
| | - Chengzhong Yu
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Molecular and Process Engineering, SKLPMPE, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, P. R. China
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Chao Liu
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Molecular and Process Engineering, SKLPMPE, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, P. R. China
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22
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Das S, Chowdhury S, Tiwary CS. High-entropy-based nano-materials for sustainable environmental applications. NANOSCALE 2024; 16:8256-8272. [PMID: 38587499 DOI: 10.1039/d4nr00474d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
High entropy materials (HEMs), epitomized by high entropy alloys (HEAs), have sparked immense interest for a range of clean energy and environmental applications due to their remarkable structural versatility and adjustable characteristics. In the face of environmental challenges, HEMs have emerged as valuable tools for addressing issues ranging from wastewater remediation to energy conversion and storage. This review provides a comprehensive exploration of HEMs, spotlighting their catalytic capabilities in diverse redox reactions, such as carbon dioxide reduction to value-added products, degradation of organic pollutants, oxygen reduction, hydrogen evolution, and ammonia decomposition using electrocatalytic and photocatalytic pathways. Additionally, the review highlights HEMs as novel electrode nanomaterials, with the potential to enhance the performance of batteries and supercapacitors. Their unique features, including high capacitance, electrical conductivity, and thermal stability, make them valuable components for meeting crucial energy demands. Furthermore, the review examines challenges and opportunities in advancing HEMs, emphasizing the importance of understanding the underlying mechanisms governing their catalytic and electrochemical behaviors. Essential considerations for optimizing the HEM performance in catalysis and energy storage are outlined to guide future research. Moreover, to provide a comprehensive understanding of the current research landscape, a meticulous bibliometric analysis is presented, offering insights into the trends, focal points, and emerging directions within the realm of HEMs, particularly in addressing environmental concerns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shubhasikha Das
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, West Bengal 721302, India.
| | - Shamik Chowdhury
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, West Bengal 721302, India.
| | - Chandra Sekhar Tiwary
- Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, West Bengal 721302, India.
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23
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Gao W, Sun J, Zhao G. Pd Clusters Loaded with Multivalent Cu Foam for Superior Electrochemical Nitrate Reduction and Selective N≡N Bond Formation. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2310597. [PMID: 38143296 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202310597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
The electrochemical denitrification of nitrate (NO3 -) in actual wastewater to nitrogen (N2) is an effective approach to reversing the current imbalance of the nitrogen cycle and the eutrophication of water. However, electrostatic repulsion between NO3 - and the cathode results in the low efficiency of NO3 - reduction reaction (NO3RR). Here, density functional theory (DFT) calculations are used as a theoretical guide to design a Pd cluster-loaded multivalent Cu foam (Pd/Cu2O-CF) electrocatalyst, which achieves a splendid 97.8% NO3 - removal rate, 97.9% N2 selectivity, 695.5 mg N g-1 Pd h-1 reduction efficiency, and 60.0% Faradaic efficiency at -1.3 V versus SCE. The projected density of states (pDOS) indicates that NO3 - and Pd/Cu2O-CF are bonded via strong complexation between the O 2p (in NO3 -) and Cu 3d (in Cu2O) with the input of voltage, which reduces the electrostatic repulsion and enhances the enrichment of NO3 - on the cathode. In-situ characterizations demonstrate that Pd[H] can reduce Cu2O to Cu, and subsequently Cu reduces NO3 - to nitrite (NO2 -) accompanied by in situ reconfiguration of multivalent Cu foam. NO2 - is then transferred to the surface of Pd clusters by the cascade catalysis and accelerates the breaking of N─O bonds to form Pd─N, and eventually achieves the N≡N bond formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiqi Gao
- Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration, Ministry of Education, Tongji Hospital, School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Jie Sun
- Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration, Ministry of Education, Tongji Hospital, School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Guohua Zhao
- Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration, Ministry of Education, Tongji Hospital, School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
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24
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Liu Y, Wei J, Yang Z, Zheng L, Zhao J, Song Z, Zhou Y, Cheng J, Meng J, Geng Z, Zeng J. Efficient tandem electroreduction of nitrate into ammonia through coupling Cu single atoms with adjacent Co 3O 4. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3619. [PMID: 38684692 PMCID: PMC11059385 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48035-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The nitrate (NO3-) electroreduction into ammonia (NH3) represents a promising approach for sustainable NH3 synthesis. However, the variation of adsorption configurations renders great difficulties in the simultaneous optimization of binding energy for the intermediates. Though the extensively reported Cu-based electrocatalysts benefit NO3- adsorption, one of the key issues lies in the accumulation of nitrite (NO2-) due to its weak adsorption, resulting in the rapid deactivation of catalysts and sluggish kinetics of subsequent hydrogenation steps. Here we report a tandem electrocatalyst by combining Cu single atoms catalysts with adjacent Co3O4 nanosheets to boost the electroreduction of NO3- to NH3. The obtained tandem catalyst exhibits a yield rate for NH3 of 114.0 mgNH 3 h-1 cm-2, which exceeds the previous values for the reported Cu-based catalysts. Mechanism investigations unveil that the combination of Co3O4 regulates the adsorption configuration of NO2- and strengthens the binding with NO2-, thus accelerating the electroreduction of NO3- to NH3.
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Grants
- National Key Research and Development Program of China (2021YFA1500500, 2019YFA0405600),National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars (21925204), CAS project for young scientists in basic research (YSBR-051), Collaborative Innovation Program of Hefei Science Center, CAS (2022HSC-CIP004), International Partnership Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (123GJHZ2022101GC), the Joint Fund of the Yulin University and the Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy (YLU-DNL Fund 2022012), Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities
- China Postdoctoral Program for Innovative Talents (BX20200324)
- the Anhui Natural Science Foundation for Young Scholars (2208085QB41), and the Fellowship of China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2021M693058)
- the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDB0450401),CAS project for young scientists in basic research (YSBR-022)
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Liu
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, Anhui, PR China
| | - Jie Wei
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, Anhui, PR China
| | - Zhengwu Yang
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, Anhui, PR China
| | - Lirong Zheng
- Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, PR China
| | - Jiankang Zhao
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, Anhui, PR China
| | - Zhimin Song
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, Anhui, PR China
| | - Yuhan Zhou
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, Anhui, PR China
| | - Jiajie Cheng
- Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, Anhui, PR China
| | - Junyang Meng
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, Anhui, PR China
| | - Zhigang Geng
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, Anhui, PR China.
| | - Jie Zeng
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, Anhui, PR China.
- CAS Key Laboratory of Strongly-Coupled Quantum Matter Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, Anhui, PR China.
- Key Laboratory of Surface and Interface Chemistry and Energy Catalysis of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, Anhui, PR China.
- School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Anhui University of Technology, Ma'anshan, 243002, Anhui, PR China.
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25
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Gao J, Ma Q, Zhang Y, Xue S, Young J, Zhao M, Ren ZJ, Kim JH, Zhang W. Coupling Curvature and Hydrophobicity: A Counterintuitive Strategy for Efficient Electroreduction of Nitrate into Ammonia. ACS NANO 2024; 18:10302-10311. [PMID: 38537206 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c02020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
The electrochemical upcycling of nitrate (NO3-) to ammonia (NH3) holds promise for synergizing both wastewater treatment and NH3 synthesis. Efficient stripping of gaseous products (NH3, H2, and N2) from electrocatalysts is crucial for continuous and stable electrochemical reactions. This study evaluated a layered electrocatalyst structure using copper (Cu) dendrites to enable a high curvature and hydrophobicity and achieve a stratified liquid contact at the gas-liquid interface of the electrocatalyst layer. As such, gaseous product desorption or displacement from electrocatalysts was enhanced due to the separation of a wetted reaction zone and a nonwetted zone for gas transfer. Consequently, this electrocatalyst structure yielded a 2.9-fold boost in per-active-site activity compared with that with a low curvature and high hydrophilic counterpart. Moreover, a NH3 Faradaic efficiency of 90.9 ± 2.3% was achieved with nearly 100% NO3- conversion. This high-curvature hydrophobic Cu dendrite was further integrated with a gas-extraction membrane, which demonstrated a comparable NH3 yield from the real reverse osmosis retentate brine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianan Gao
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States
| | - Qingquan Ma
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States
| | - Yihan Zhang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States
| | - Shan Xue
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States
| | - Joshua Young
- Department of Chemical & Materials Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States
| | - Mengqiang Zhao
- Department of Chemical & Materials Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States
| | - Zhiyong Jason Ren
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Jae-Hong Kim
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
| | - Wen Zhang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States
- Department of Chemical & Materials Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States
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26
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Jia S, Wu L, Liu H, Wang R, Sun X, Han B. Nitrogenous Intermediates in NO x-involved Electrocatalytic Reactions. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202400033. [PMID: 38225207 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202400033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2024] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
Chemical manufacturing utilizing renewable sources and energy emerges as a promising path towards sustainability and carbon neutrality. The electrocatalytic reactions involving nitrogen oxides (NOx) offered a potential strategy for synthesizing various nitrogenous chemicals. However, it is currently hindered by low selectivity/efficiency and limited reaction pathways, mainly due to the difficulties in controllable generation and utilization of nitrogenous intermediates. In this minireview, focusing on nitrogenous intermediates in NOx-involved electrocatalytic reactions, we discuss newly developed methodologies for studying and controlling the generation, conversion, and utilizing of nitrogenous intermediates, which enable recent developments in NOx-involved electrocatalytic reactions that yield various products, including ammonia (NH3), organonitrogen molecules, and nitrogenous compounds exhibiting unconventional oxidation states. Furthermore, we also make an outlook to highlight future directions in the emerging field of NOx-involved electrocatalytic reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunhan Jia
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Limin Wu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Hanle Liu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Ruhan Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiaofu Sun
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Buxing Han
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Laboratory of Colloid and Interface and Thermodynamics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Center for Carbon Neutral Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
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27
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Xiong Y, Wang Y, Zhou J, Liu F, Hao F, Fan Z. Electrochemical Nitrate Reduction: Ammonia Synthesis and the Beyond. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2304021. [PMID: 37294062 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202304021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Natural nitrogen cycle has been severely disrupted by anthropogenic activities. The overuse of N-containing fertilizers induces the increase of nitrate level in surface and ground waters, and substantial emission of nitrogen oxides causes heavy air pollution. Nitrogen gas, as the main component of air, has been used for mass ammonia production for over a century, providing enough nutrition for agriculture to support world population increase. In the last decade, researchers have made great efforts to develop ammonia processes under ambient conditions to combat the intensive energy consumption and high carbon emission associated with the Haber-Bosch process. Among different techniques, electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) can achieve nitrate removal and ammonia generation simultaneously using renewable electricity as the power, and there is an exponential growth of studies in this research direction. Here, a timely and comprehensive review on the important progresses of electrochemical NO3RR, covering the rational design of electrocatalysts, emerging CN coupling reactions, and advanced energy conversion and storage systems is provided. Moreover, future perspectives are proposed to accelerate the industrialized NH3 production and green synthesis of chemicals, leading to a sustainable nitrogen cycle via prosperous N-based electrochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuecheng Xiong
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
- Hong Kong Branch of National Precious Metals Material Engineering Research Center (NPMM), City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Yunhao Wang
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Jingwen Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
- Hong Kong Branch of National Precious Metals Material Engineering Research Center (NPMM), City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Fu Liu
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Fengkun Hao
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Zhanxi Fan
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
- Hong Kong Branch of National Precious Metals Material Engineering Research Center (NPMM), City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, P. R. China
- City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518057, P. R. China
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Zheng M, Zhang J, Wang P, Jin H, Zheng Y, Qiao SZ. Recent Advances in Electrocatalytic Hydrogenation Reactions on Copper-Based Catalysts. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2307913. [PMID: 37756435 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202307913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Hydrogenation reactions play a critical role in the synthesis of value-added products within the chemical industry. Electrocatalytic hydrogenation (ECH) using water as the hydrogen source has emerged as an alternative to conventional thermocatalytic processes for sustainable and decentralized chemical synthesis under mild conditions. Among the various ECH catalysts, copper-based (Cu-based) nanomaterials are promising candidates due to their earth-abundance, unique electronic structure, versatility, and high activity/selectivity. Herein, recent advances in the application of Cu-based catalysts in ECH reactions for the upgrading of valuable chemicals are systematically analyzed. The unique properties of Cu-based catalysts in ECH are initially introduced, followed by design strategies to enhance their activity and selectivity. Then, typical ECH reactions on Cu-based catalysts are presented in detail, including carbon dioxide reduction for multicarbon generation, alkyne-to-alkene conversion, selective aldehyde conversion, ammonia production from nitrogen-containing substances, and amine production from organic nitrogen compounds. In these catalysts, the role of catalyst composition and nanostructures toward different products is focused. The co-hydrogenation of two substrates (e.g., CO2 and NOx n, SO3 2-, etc.) via C─N, C─S, and C─C cross-coupling reactions are also highlighted. Finally, the critical issues and future perspectives of Cu-catalyzed ECH are proposed to accelerate the rational development of next-generation catalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zheng
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
| | - Junyu Zhang
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
| | - Pengtang Wang
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
| | - Huanyu Jin
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
| | - Yao Zheng
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
| | - Shi-Zhang Qiao
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
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Li J, Wang B, Wang H, Jia J, Zhang J, Zhang L, Tu M, Li H, Xu C. Ru-Doped Ultrasmall Cu Nanoparticles Decorated with Carbon for Electroreduction of Nitrate to Ammonia. Inorg Chem 2024; 63:3955-3961. [PMID: 38334267 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c04446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction offers a sustainable approach to treating wastewater and synthesizing high-value ammonia under ambient conditions. However, electrocatalysts with low faradaic efficiency and selectivity severely hinder the development of nitrate-to-ammonia conversion. Herein, Ru-doped ultrasmall copper nanoparticles loaded on a carbon substrate (Cu-Ru@C) were fabricated by the pyrolysis of Cu-BTC metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The Cu-Ru@C-0.5 catalyst exhibits a high faradaic efficiency (FE) of 90.4% at -0.6 V (vs RHE) and an ammonia yield rate of 1700.36 μg h-1mgcat.-1 at -0.9 V (vs RHE). Moreover, the nitrate conversion rate is almost 100% over varied pHs (including acid, neutral, and alkaline electrolytes) and different nitrate concentrations. The remarkable performance is attributed to the synergistic effect between Cu and Ru and the excellent conductivity of the carbon substrate. This work will open an exciting avenue to exploring MOF derivatives for ambient ammonia synthesis via selective electrocatalytic nitrate reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Laboratory of Special Function Materials and Structure Design of the Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Binglei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Laboratory of Special Function Materials and Structure Design of the Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Huijiao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Laboratory of Special Function Materials and Structure Design of the Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Jinzhi Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Laboratory of Special Function Materials and Structure Design of the Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Jinhua Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Laboratory of Special Function Materials and Structure Design of the Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Lanyue Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Laboratory of Special Function Materials and Structure Design of the Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Mudong Tu
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Laboratory of Special Function Materials and Structure Design of the Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Hua Li
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Laboratory of Special Function Materials and Structure Design of the Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Cailing Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Laboratory of Special Function Materials and Structure Design of the Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
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30
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Liao W, Wang J, Ni G, Liu K, Liu C, Chen S, Wang Q, Chen Y, Luo T, Wang X, Wang Y, Li W, Chan TS, Ma C, Li H, Liang Y, Liu W, Fu J, Xi B, Liu M. Sustainable conversion of alkaline nitrate to ammonia at activities greater than 2 A cm -2. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1264. [PMID: 38341446 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45534-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Nitrate (NO3‒) pollution poses significant threats to water quality and global nitrogen cycles. Alkaline electrocatalytic NO3‒ reduction reaction (NO3RR) emerges as an attractive route for enabling NO3‒ removal and sustainable ammonia (NH3) synthesis. However, it suffers from insufficient proton (H+) supply in high pH conditions, restricting NO3‒-to-NH3 activity. Herein, we propose a halogen-mediated H+ feeding strategy to enhance the alkaline NO3RR performance. Our platform achieves near-100% NH3 Faradaic efficiency (pH = 14) with a current density of 2 A cm-2 and enables an over 99% NO3--to-NH3 conversion efficiency. We also convert NO3‒ to high-purity NH4Cl with near-unity efficiency, suggesting a practical approach to valorizing pollutants into valuable ammonia products. Theoretical simulations and in situ experiments reveal that Cl-coordination endows a shifted d-band center of Pd atoms to construct local H+-abundant environments, through arousing dangling O-H water dissociation and fast *H desorption, for *NO intermediate hydrogenation and finally effective NO3‒-to-NH3 conversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanru Liao
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, School of Physics, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, PR China
| | - Jun Wang
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, School of Physics, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, PR China
| | - Ganghai Ni
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, School of Physics, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, PR China
| | - Kang Liu
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, School of Physics, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, PR China
| | - Changxu Liu
- Centre for Metamaterial Research & Innovation, Department of Engineering, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QF, UK
| | - Shanyong Chen
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, PR China
| | - Qiyou Wang
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, School of Physics, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, PR China
| | - Yingkang Chen
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, School of Physics, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, PR China
| | - Tao Luo
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, School of Physics, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, PR China
| | - Xiqing Wang
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, School of Physics, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, PR China
| | - Yanqiu Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, PR China
| | - Wenzhang Li
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, PR China
| | - Ting-Shan Chan
- National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu, 300092, Taiwan
| | - Chao Ma
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, PR China
| | - Hongmei Li
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, School of Physics, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, PR China
| | - Ying Liang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, 410004, PR China
| | - Weizhen Liu
- School of Environment and Energy, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Wastes Pollution Control and Recycling, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, PR China
| | - Junwei Fu
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, School of Physics, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, PR China.
| | - Beidou Xi
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, 100012, Beijing, PR China.
| | - Min Liu
- Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, School of Physics, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, PR China.
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Huang Z, Yang B, Zhou Y, Luo W, Chen G, Liu M, Liu X, Ma R, Zhang N. Tungsten Nitride/Tungsten Oxide Nanosheets for Enhanced Oxynitride Intermediate Adsorption and Hydrogenation in Nitrate Electroreduction to Ammonia. ACS NANO 2023; 17:25091-25100. [PMID: 38054420 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c07734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Electrochemical NO3- reduction reaction (NO3RR) is a promising technique for green NH3 synthesis. Tungsten oxide (WO3) has been regarded as an effective electrocatalyst for electrochemical NH3 synthesis. However, the weak adsorption and the sluggish hydrogenation of oxynitride intermediates (NOx, e.g., *NO3 and *NO2) over WO3 materials hinder the efficiency of converting NO3- to NH3. Herein, we design a heterostructure of tungsten nitride (WN) and WO3 (WN/WO3) nanosheets to optimize *NO3 and *NO2 adsorptions and facilitate *NO2 hydrogenations to achieve a highly efficient electrochemical NO3RR to produce NH3. Theoretical calculations predict that locally introducing WN into WO3 will shorten the distance between adjacent W atoms, resulting in *NO3 and *NO2 being strongly adsorbed on W active sites in the form of bidentate ligands instead of the relatively weak monodentate ligands. Furthermore, WN facilitates H2O dissociation to supply the requisite protons, which is beneficial for *NO2 hydrogenations. Inspired by theoretical prediction, WN/WO3 nanosheets are successfully fabricated through a high-temperature nitridation process. The transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy investigations confirm that the amorphous WN has been locally introduced in situ into WO3 nanosheets to form a composite heterostructure. The as-prepared WN/WO3 nanosheets exhibit a high Faraday efficiency of 88.9 ± 7.2% and an appreciable yield rate of 8.4 mg h-1 cm-2 toward NH3 production, which is much higher than that of individual WO3 and WN. The enhanced adsorption and hydrogenation behaviors of *NOx over WN/WO3 are characterized by in situ Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, consistent with the theoretical predictions. This work develops facile and effective heterostructure nanomaterials to tune the adsorption and hydrogenation of NOx for boosting the efficiency from NO3- to NH3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhencong Huang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Baopeng Yang
- School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Yulong Zhou
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Wuqing Luo
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Gen Chen
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Min Liu
- School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Xiaohe Liu
- School of Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Renzhi Ma
- Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan
| | - Ning Zhang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
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32
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Liu Y, Jiang X, Zhang Y, Li H, Huang W, Yang Y, Ye M, Liu Y. The interface-mediated electron structure tuning of RuO x-Co 3O 4 nano-particles for efficient electrocatalytic nitrate reduction. Dalton Trans 2023; 53:162-170. [PMID: 38018516 DOI: 10.1039/d3dt03318j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
The energy-intensive processes for the industrial production of ammonia necessitates the development of new methods to be proposed that will aid in reducing the global energy consumption. Specifically, the electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) to produce ammonia is more thermodynamically feasible than the electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR). However, it is hindered by a low catalytic activity due to its complex reaction pathways. Herein, we synthesized a novel electrocatalyst, RuOx-Co3O4 nanoparticles, with abundant interfaces, which exhibited an enhanced catalytic activity for efficient ammonia synthesis. This catalyst delivered a partial current density of 65.8 mA cm-2 for NH3 production, a faradaic efficiency (FE) of 89.7%, and a superior ammonia yield rate of up to 210.5 μmol h-1 cm-2 at -0.6 V vs. RHE. X-ray photoelectron and Raman spectroscopy revealed that the formed interfacial Ru-O-Co bond can decorate the electronic structures of the active sites and accelerate the absorption of NO3-, thus promoting the production of ammonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Liu
- School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China.
| | - Xiaoli Jiang
- School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Yagang Zhang
- School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Hangqi Li
- School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China.
| | - Weidong Huang
- School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Yuanteng Yang
- School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China.
| | - Minghao Ye
- School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China.
| | - Yanxia Liu
- School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
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Wu Z, Liu Y, Wang D, Zhang Y, Gu K, He Z, Liu L, Liu H, Fan J, Chen C, Wang S. Cu@Co with Dilatation Strain for High-Performance Electrocatalytic Reduction of Low-Concentration Nitric Oxide. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023:e2309470. [PMID: 38113301 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202309470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Electrocatalytic reduction of nitric oxide (NO) to ammonia (NH3 ) is a clean and sustainable strategy to simultaneously remove NO and synthesize NH3 . However, the conversion of low concentration NO to NH3 is still a huge challenge. In this work, the dilatation strain between Cu and Co interface over Cu@Co catalyst is built up and investigated for electroreduction of low concentration NO (volume ratio of 1%) to NH3 . The catalyst shows a high NH3 yield of 627.20 µg h-1 cm-2 and a Faradaic efficiency of 76.54%. Through the combination of spherical aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy and geometric phase analyses, it shows that Co atoms occupy Cu lattice sites to form dilatation strain in the xy direction within Co region. Further density functional theory calculations and NO temperature-programmed desorption (NO-TPD) results show that the surface dilatation strain on Cu@Co is helpful to enhance the NO adsorption and reduce energy barrier of the rate-determining step (*NO to *NOH), thereby accelerating the catalytic reaction. To simultaneously realize NO exhaust gas removal, NH3 green synthesis, and electricity output, a Zn-NO battery with Cu@Co cathode is assembled with a power density of 3.08 mW cm-2 and an NH3 yield of 273.37 µg h-1 cm-2 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Ze Wu
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha, Hunan, 410114, P. R. China
| | - Yujing Liu
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha, Hunan, 410114, P. R. China
| | - Dongdong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chem/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, the National Supercomputer Centers in Changsha, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, 410082, P. R. China
| | - Yiqiong Zhang
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha, Hunan, 410114, P. R. China
| | - Kaizhi Gu
- Institute for Advanced Study, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, P. R. China
| | - Zejin He
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230029, P. R. China
| | - Limin Liu
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230029, P. R. China
| | - Hanwen Liu
- WA School of Mines, Minerals, Energy and Chemical Engineering (WASM-MECE), Curtin University, Perth, WA, 6102, Australia
| | - Jincheng Fan
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha, Hunan, 410114, P. R. China
| | - Chen Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Chem/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, the National Supercomputer Centers in Changsha, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, 410082, P. R. China
| | - Shuangyin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chem/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, the National Supercomputer Centers in Changsha, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, 410082, P. R. China
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Song Z, Qin L, Liu Y, Zhong Y, Guo Q, Geng Z, Zeng J. Efficient Electroreduction of Nitrate to Ammonia with CuPd Nanoalloy Catalysts. CHEMSUSCHEM 2023; 16:e202300202. [PMID: 36971488 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202300202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The electroreduction of nitrate (NO3 - ) to valuable ammonia (NH3 ) is a green and appealing alternative to the Haber-Bosch process. Nevertheless, this process suffers from low performance for NH3 due to the sluggish multi-electron/proton-involved steps. In this work, a CuPd nanoalloy catalyst was developed toward NO3 - electroreduction at ambient conditions. By modulating the atomic ratio of Cu to Pd, the hydrogenation steps of NH3 synthesis during NO3 - electroreduction can be effectively controlled. At -0.7 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (vs. RHE), the optimized CuPd electrocatalysts achieved a Faradaic efficiency for NH3 of 95.5 %, which was 1.3 and 1.8 times higher than that of Cu and Pd, respectively. Notably, at -0.9 V vs. RHE, the CuPd electrocatalysts showed a high yield rate of 36.2 mg h-1 cm-2 for NH3 with a corresponding partial current density of -430.6 mA cm-2 . Mechanism investigation revealed the enhanced performance originated from the synergistic catalytic cooperation between Cu and Pd sites. The H-atoms adsorbed on the Pd sites prefer to transfer to adjacent nitrogen intermediates adsorbed on the Cu sites, thereby promoting the hydrogenation of intermediates and the formation of NH3 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhimin Song
- Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, P. R. China
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Key Laboratory of Strongly Coupled Quantum Matter Physics of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Key Laboratory of Surface and Interface Chemistry and Energy Catalysis of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, P. R. China
| | - Lang Qin
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Key Laboratory of Strongly Coupled Quantum Matter Physics of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Key Laboratory of Surface and Interface Chemistry and Energy Catalysis of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, P. R. China
| | - Yan Liu
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Key Laboratory of Strongly Coupled Quantum Matter Physics of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Key Laboratory of Surface and Interface Chemistry and Energy Catalysis of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, P. R. China
| | - Yongzhi Zhong
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Key Laboratory of Strongly Coupled Quantum Matter Physics of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Key Laboratory of Surface and Interface Chemistry and Energy Catalysis of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, P. R. China
| | - Qing Guo
- Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, P. R. China
| | - Zhigang Geng
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Key Laboratory of Strongly Coupled Quantum Matter Physics of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Key Laboratory of Surface and Interface Chemistry and Energy Catalysis of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, P. R. China
| | - Jie Zeng
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Key Laboratory of Strongly Coupled Quantum Matter Physics of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Key Laboratory of Surface and Interface Chemistry and Energy Catalysis of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, P. R. China
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Qu Y, Dai T, Cui Y, Ding G, Zhu Y, Wang Z, Jiang Q. Heterostructured Co-Doped-Cu 2 O/Cu Synergistically Promotes Water Dissociation for Improved Electrochemical Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023:e2308246. [PMID: 37967357 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202308246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NO3 RR) has recently emerged as a promising approach for sustainable ammonia synthesis and wastewater treatment, while the activity and selectivity for ammonia production have remained low. Herein, rational design and controllable synthesis of heterostructured Co-doped Cu2 O/Cu nanoparticles embedded in carbon framework (Co-Cu2 O/Cu@C) is reported for NO3 RR. The Co-Cu2 O/Cu@C exhibits a high ammonia yield rate of 37.86 mg h-1 mg-1 cat. with 98.1% Faraday efficiency, which is higher than those obtained for most of the Cu-based catalysts under similar conditions. Density functional theory calculations indicated that the strong electronic interactions at Cu/Co-Cu2 O interface facilitate the N species deoxygenation process and doping of Co promotes water dissociation to generate * H for the N species hydrogenation process, leading to enhanced NO3 RR performance. This work provides a new design strategy toward high-performance catalysts toward NO3 RR for ammonia generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanbin Qu
- Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials, Ministry of Education, and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, 130022, China
| | - Tianyi Dai
- Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials, Ministry of Education, and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, 130022, China
| | - Yuhuan Cui
- Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials, Ministry of Education, and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, 130022, China
| | - Guopeng Ding
- Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials, Ministry of Education, and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, 130022, China
| | - Yongfu Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials, Ministry of Education, and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, 130022, China
| | - Zhili Wang
- Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials, Ministry of Education, and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, 130022, China
| | - Qing Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials, Ministry of Education, and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, 130022, China
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36
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Zhang S, Zha Y, Ye Y, Li K, Lin Y, Zheng L, Wang G, Zhang Y, Yin H, Shi T, Zhang H. Oxygen-Coordinated Single Mn Sites for Efficient Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia. NANO-MICRO LETTERS 2023; 16:9. [PMID: 37932531 PMCID: PMC10628069 DOI: 10.1007/s40820-023-01217-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction has attracted increasing attention due to its goal of low carbon emission and environmental protection. Here, we report an efficient NitRR catalyst composed of single Mn sites with atomically dispersed oxygen (O) coordination on bacterial cellulose-converted graphitic carbon (Mn-O-C). Evidence of the atomically dispersed Mn-(O-C2)4 moieties embedding in the exposed basal plane of carbon surface is confirmed by X-ray absorption spectroscopy. As a result, the as-synthesized Mn-O-C catalyst exhibits superior NitRR activity with an NH3 yield rate (RNH3) of 1476.9 ± 62.6 μg h-1 cm-2 at - 0.7 V (vs. reversible hydrogen electrode, RHE) and a faradaic efficiency (FE) of 89.0 ± 3.8% at - 0.5 V (vs. RHE) under ambient conditions. Further, when evaluated with a practical flow cell, Mn-O-C shows a high RNH3 of 3706.7 ± 552.0 μg h-1 cm-2 at a current density of 100 mA cm-2, 2.5 times of that in the H cell. The in situ FT-IR and Raman spectroscopic studies combined with theoretical calculations indicate that the Mn-(O-C2)4 sites not only effectively inhibit the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction, but also greatly promote the adsorption and activation of nitrate (NO3-), thus boosting both the FE and selectivity of NH3 over Mn-(O-C2)4 sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengbo Zhang
- Laboratory of Materials Physics, Centre for Environmental and Energy Nanomaterials, Anhui Key Laboratory of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, People's Republic of China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuankang Zha
- Laboratory of Materials Physics, Centre for Environmental and Energy Nanomaterials, Anhui Key Laboratory of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, People's Republic of China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, People's Republic of China
| | - Yixing Ye
- Laboratory of Materials Physics, Centre for Environmental and Energy Nanomaterials, Anhui Key Laboratory of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, People's Republic of China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, People's Republic of China
| | - Ke Li
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Sensors, Ministry of Agriculture, School of Information and Computer, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230026, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yue Lin
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, People's Republic of China
| | - Lirong Zheng
- Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19B Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Guozhong Wang
- Laboratory of Materials Physics, Centre for Environmental and Energy Nanomaterials, Anhui Key Laboratory of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, People's Republic of China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, People's Republic of China
| | - Yunxia Zhang
- Laboratory of Materials Physics, Centre for Environmental and Energy Nanomaterials, Anhui Key Laboratory of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, People's Republic of China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, People's Republic of China
| | - Huajie Yin
- Laboratory of Materials Physics, Centre for Environmental and Energy Nanomaterials, Anhui Key Laboratory of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, People's Republic of China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, People's Republic of China
| | - Tongfei Shi
- Laboratory of Materials Physics, Centre for Environmental and Energy Nanomaterials, Anhui Key Laboratory of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, People's Republic of China.
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, People's Republic of China.
| | - Haimin Zhang
- Laboratory of Materials Physics, Centre for Environmental and Energy Nanomaterials, Anhui Key Laboratory of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, People's Republic of China.
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, People's Republic of China.
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37
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Gu Z, Zhang Y, Wei X, Duan Z, Gong Q, Luo K. Intermediates Regulation via Electron-Deficient Cu Sites for Selective Nitrate-to-Ammonia Electroreduction. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2303107. [PMID: 37730433 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202303107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Ammonia (NH3 ), known as one of the fundamental raw materials for manufacturing commodities such as chemical fertilizers, dyes, ammunitions, pharmaceuticals, and textiles, exhibits a high hydrogen storage capacity of ≈17.75%. Electrochemical nitrate reduction (NO3 RR) to valuable ammonia at ambient conditions is a promising strategy to facilitate the artificial nitrogen cycle. Herein, copper-doped cobalt selenide nanosheets with selenium vacancies are reported as a robust and highly efficient electrocatalyst for the reduction of nitrate to ammonia, exhibiting a maximum Faradaic efficiency of ≈93.5% and an ammonia yield rate of 2360 µg h-1 cm-2 at -0.60 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode. The in situ spectroscopical and theoretical study demonstrates that the incorporation of Cu dopants and Se vacancies into cobalt selenide efficiently enhances the electron transfer from Cu to Co atoms via the bridging Se atoms, forming the electron-deficient structure at Cu sites to accelerate NO3 - dissociation and stabilize the *NO2 intermediates, eventually achieving selective catalysis in the entire NO3 RR process to produce ammonia efficiently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengxiang Gu
- Department of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yechuan Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xuelian Wei
- Department of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Zhenyu Duan
- Department of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Department of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Kui Luo
- Department of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
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38
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Yu Z, Xie J, Ren T, Yu H, Deng K, Wang Z, Wang H, Wang L, Xu Y. Electrochemical Postmodification-Induced Surface Atom Rearrangement over Cu Nanodendrites for Enhanced Electrosynthesis of Ammonia from Nitrate. Inorg Chem 2023; 62:16228-16235. [PMID: 37724563 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c02886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Utilizing nitrate from wastewater as a N-source for ammonia synthesis via electrocatalysis is of significance for both environmental protection and ecological nitrogen cycle balance, which requires high-performance electrocatalysts to drive selective nitrate-to-ammonia transformation. In this work, an electrochemical postmodification strategy was developed to regulate the surface structure of presynthesized Cu nanodendrites at the atomic level. A combination of physicochemical characterization and electrochemical study demonstrates that such a treatment could induce surface Cu atom rearrangement and result in increased electrochemically active surface area and high density of surface-active sites, disclosing a high electrocatalytic nitrate-to-ammonia capability, with an optimal NH3 yield rate of 0.2238 mmol h-1 cm-2 and a corresponding Faradaic efficiency of 94.43%. This study may provide a guiding design avenue for atomic arrangement engineering of metallic nanocrystals via electrochemical postmodification for nitrate reduction reaction and other energy conversion electrocatalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuan Yu
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green-Chemical Synthesis Technology, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China
| | - Jiangwei Xie
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green-Chemical Synthesis Technology, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China
| | - Tianlun Ren
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green-Chemical Synthesis Technology, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China
| | - Hongjie Yu
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green-Chemical Synthesis Technology, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China
| | - Kai Deng
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green-Chemical Synthesis Technology, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China
| | - Ziqiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green-Chemical Synthesis Technology, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China
| | - Hongjing Wang
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green-Chemical Synthesis Technology, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China
| | - Liang Wang
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green-Chemical Synthesis Technology, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China
| | - You Xu
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green-Chemical Synthesis Technology, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China
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39
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Xu J, Zhang S, Liu H, Liu S, Yuan Y, Meng Y, Wang M, Shen C, Peng Q, Chen J, Wang X, Song L, Li K, Chen W. Breaking Local Charge Symmetry of Iron Single Atoms for Efficient Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202308044. [PMID: 37483078 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202308044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
The electrochemical conversion of nitrate pollutants into value-added ammonia is a feasible way to achieve artificial nitrogen cycle. However, the development of electrocatalytic nitrate-to-ammonia reduction reaction (NO3 - RR) has been hampered by high overpotential and low Faradaic efficiency. Here we develop an iron single-atom catalyst coordinated with nitrogen and phosphorus on hollow carbon polyhedron (denoted as Fe-N/P-C) as a NO3 - RR electrocatalyst. Owing to the tuning effect of phosphorus atoms on breaking local charge symmetry of the single-Fe-atom catalyst, it facilitates the adsorption of nitrate ions and enrichment of some key reaction intermediates during the NO3 - RR process. The Fe-N/P-C catalyst exhibits 90.3 % ammonia Faradaic efficiency with a yield rate of 17980 μg h-1 mgcat -1 , greatly outperforming the reported Fe-based catalysts. Furthermore, operando SR-FTIR spectroscopy measurements reveal the reaction pathway based on key intermediates observed under different applied potentials and reaction durations. Density functional theory calculations demonstrate that the optimized free energy of NO3 - RR intermediates is ascribed to the asymmetric atomic interface configuration, which achieves the optimal electron density distribution. This work demonstrates the critical role of atomic-level precision modulation by heteroatom doping for the NO3 - RR, providing an effective strategy for improving the catalytic performance of single atom catalysts in different electrochemical reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwen Xu
- Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Shengbo Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Center for Environmental and Energy Nanomaterials, Anhui Key Laboratory of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 230031, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Hengjie Liu
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, University of Science and Technology of China, 230029, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Shuang Liu
- Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yuan Yuan
- Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yahan Meng
- Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Mingming Wang
- Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Chunyue Shen
- Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Qia Peng
- Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Jinghao Chen
- Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Xiaoyang Wang
- Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Li Song
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, University of Science and Technology of China, 230029, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Ke Li
- Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Sensors, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Smart Agricultural Technology and Equipment, School of Information and Computer, Anhui Agricultural University, 230036, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, Anhui, China
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40
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Wang Y, Cao Y, Hai Y, Wang X, Su S, Ding W, Liu Z, Li X, Luo M. Metal-organic framework-derived Cu nanoparticle binder-free monolithic electrodes with multiple support structures for electrocatalytic nitrate reduction to ammonia. Dalton Trans 2023; 52:11213-11221. [PMID: 37522833 DOI: 10.1039/d3dt01412f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction to ammonia, which removes nitrates from aquatic ecosystems, is a potential alternative to the classical Haber-Bosch process. Nevertheless, the selectivity of ammonia is often affected by the toxic by-product nitrite. Here, the polyhedral-supported Cu nanoparticle binder-free monolithic electrode (Cu-BTC-Cu) is synthesized by the in situ electroreduction of Cu metal-organic framework (Cu-MOF) precursors. The Cu-BTC-Cu displays a high ammonia yield of 4.00 mg h-1 cm-2cat and a faradaic efficiency of 83.8% in 0.05 M K2SO4 (pH = 7), greatly outperforming the rod-supported (Cu-BTEC-Cu) and unsupported (Cu-BDC-Cu) Cu nanoparticle monolithic electrodes. Impressively, the Cu-BTC-Cu can inhibit significantly the release of by-product NO2- and present favourable stability after 10 consecutive cycles. These preeminent properties can be attributed to the polyhedral structure, which enables better dispersion of Cu nanoparticles and brings more active sites. Moreover, the reaction mechanism of Cu-BTC-Cu is analysed by electrochemical in situ characterization and several key intermediates are captured. This work provides new insights into the modification of the electrocatalytic nitrate reduction activity of Cu-based catalysts and ideas for the design of high-efficiency electrodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Wang
- State Key Laboratory of High-efficiency Utilization of Coal and Green Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, P. R. China.
| | - Yue Cao
- State Key Laboratory of High-efficiency Utilization of Coal and Green Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, P. R. China.
| | - Yan Hai
- State Key Laboratory of High-efficiency Utilization of Coal and Green Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, P. R. China.
| | - Xinyan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of High-efficiency Utilization of Coal and Green Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, P. R. China.
| | - Senda Su
- State Key Laboratory of High-efficiency Utilization of Coal and Green Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, P. R. China.
| | - Wenming Ding
- State Key Laboratory of High-efficiency Utilization of Coal and Green Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, P. R. China.
| | - Zhenyu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of High-efficiency Utilization of Coal and Green Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, P. R. China.
| | - Xiaoman Li
- State Key Laboratory of High-efficiency Utilization of Coal and Green Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, P. R. China.
| | - Min Luo
- State Key Laboratory of High-efficiency Utilization of Coal and Green Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, P. R. China.
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41
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Chang Z, Meng G, Chen Y, Chen C, Han S, Wu P, Zhu L, Tian H, Kong F, Wang M, Cui X, Shi J. Dual-Site W-O-CoP Catalysts for Active and Selective Nitrate Conversion to Ammonia in a Broad Concentration Window. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2304508. [PMID: 37344386 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202304508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Environmentally friendly electrochemical reduction of contaminated nitrate to ammonia (NO3 - RR) is a promising solution for large quantity ammonia (NH3 ) production, which, however, is a complex multi-reaction process involving coordination between different reaction intermediates of nitrate reduction and water decomposition-provided active hydrogen (Hads ) species. Here, a dual-site catalyst of [W-O] group-doped CoP nanosheets (0.6W-O-CoP@NF) has been designed to synergistically catalyze the NO3 - RR and water decomposition, especially the reactions between the intermediates of NO3 - RR and water decomposition-provided Hads species. This catalytic NO3 - RR exhibits an extremely high NH3 yield of 80.92 mg h-1 cm-2 and a Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 95.2% in 1 m KOH containing 0.1 m NO3 - . Significantly, 0.6W-O-CoP@NF presents greatly enhanced NH3 yield and FE in a wide NO3 - concentration ranges of 0.001-0.1 m compared to the reported. The excellent NO3 - RR performance is attributed to a synergistic catalytic effect between [W-O] and CoP active sites, in which the doped [W-O] group promotes the water decomposition to supply abundant Hads , and meanwhile modulates the electronic structure of Co for strengthened adsorption of Hads and the hydrogen (H2 ) release prevention, resultantly facilitating the NO3 - RR. Finally, a Zn-NO3 - battery has been assembled to simultaneously achieve three functions: electricity output, ammonia production, and nitrate treatment in wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziwei Chang
- Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, P. R. China
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| | - Ge Meng
- Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, P. R. China
| | - Yafeng Chen
- Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, P. R. China
| | - Chang Chen
- Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, P. R. China
| | - Shuhe Han
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Molecular Plus, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, P. R. China
| | - Ping Wu
- Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, P. R. China
| | - Libo Zhu
- Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, P. R. China
| | - Han Tian
- Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, P. R. China
| | - Fantao Kong
- Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, P. R. China
| | - Min Wang
- Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, P. R. China
| | - Xiangzhi Cui
- Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, P. R. China
- School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, P. R. China
| | - Jianlin Shi
- Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, P. R. China
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42
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He W, Chandra S, Quast T, Varhade S, Dieckhöfer S, Junqueira JRC, Gao H, Seisel S, Schuhmann W. Enhanced Nitrate-to-Ammonia Efficiency over Linear Assemblies of Copper-Cobalt Nanophases Stabilized by Redox Polymers. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2303050. [PMID: 37235856 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202303050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Renewable electricity-powered nitrate (NO3 - ) reduction reaction (NO3 RR) offers a net-zero carbon route to the realization of high ammonia (NH3 ) productivity. However, this route suffers from low energy efficiency (EE, with a half-cell EE commonly <36%), since high overpotentials are required to overcome the weak NO3 - binding affinity and sluggish NO3 RR kinetics. To alleviate this, a rational catalyst design strategy that involves the linear assembly of sub-5 nm Cu/Co nanophases into sub-20 nm thick nanoribbons is suggested. The theoretical and experimental studies show that the Cu-Co nanoribbons, similar to enzymes, enable strong NO3 - adsorption and rapid tandem catalysis of NO3 - to NH3 , owing to their richly exposed binary phase boundaries and adjacent Cu-Co sites at sub-5 nm distance. In situ Raman spectroscopy further reveals that at low applied overpotentials, the Cu/Co nanophases are rapidly activated and subsequently stabilized by a specifically designed redox polymer that in situ scavenges intermediately formed highly oxidative nitrogen dioxide (NO2 ). As a result, a stable NO3 RR with a current density of ≈450 mA cm-2 is achieved, a Faradaic efficiency of >97% for the formation of NH3 , and an unprecedented half-cell EE of ≈42%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhui He
- Analytical Chemistry-Center for Electrochemical Sciences (CES), Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, D-44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Shubhadeep Chandra
- Analytical Chemistry-Center for Electrochemical Sciences (CES), Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, D-44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Thomas Quast
- Analytical Chemistry-Center for Electrochemical Sciences (CES), Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, D-44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Swapnil Varhade
- Analytical Chemistry-Center for Electrochemical Sciences (CES), Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, D-44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Stefan Dieckhöfer
- Analytical Chemistry-Center for Electrochemical Sciences (CES), Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, D-44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - João R C Junqueira
- Analytical Chemistry-Center for Electrochemical Sciences (CES), Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, D-44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Huimin Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, P. R. China
| | - Sabine Seisel
- Analytical Chemistry-Center for Electrochemical Sciences (CES), Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, D-44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Schuhmann
- Analytical Chemistry-Center for Electrochemical Sciences (CES), Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, D-44780, Bochum, Germany
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43
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Ren T, Yu Z, Yu H, Deng K, Wang Z, Li X, Wang H, Wang L, Xu Y. Sustainable Ammonia Electrosynthesis from Nitrate Wastewater Coupled to Electrocatalytic Upcycling of Polyethylene Terephthalate Plastic Waste. ACS NANO 2023. [PMID: 37363822 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c01862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Integrating the nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) hydrolysate oxidation to construct the nitrate/PET hydrolysate coelectrolysis system holds a great promise of realizing the simultaneous upcycling of nitrate wastewater and PET plastic waste, which, however, is still an almost untouched research area. Herein, we develop an ultralow content of Ru-incorporated Co-based metal-organic frameworks as a bifunctional precatalyst, which can be in situ reconstructed to Ru-Co(OH)2 at the cathode and Ru-CoOOH at the anode under electrocatalytic environments, and function as real active catalysts for the NO3RR and PET hydrolysate oxidation, respectively. With a two-electrode nitrate/PET hydrolysate coelectrolysis system, the current density of 50 mA cm-2 is achieved at a cell voltage of only 1.53 V, realizing the simultaneous production of ammonia and formate at a lower energy consumption. This study provides a concept for the construction of coelectrolysis systems for upcycling of nitrate wastewater and PET plastic waste.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianlun Ren
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green-Chemical Synthesis Technology, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, P. R. China
| | - Zuan Yu
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green-Chemical Synthesis Technology, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, P. R. China
| | - Hongjie Yu
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green-Chemical Synthesis Technology, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, P. R. China
| | - Kai Deng
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green-Chemical Synthesis Technology, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, P. R. China
| | - Ziqiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green-Chemical Synthesis Technology, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, P. R. China
| | - Xiaonian Li
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green-Chemical Synthesis Technology, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, P. R. China
| | - Hongjing Wang
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green-Chemical Synthesis Technology, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, P. R. China
| | - Liang Wang
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green-Chemical Synthesis Technology, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, P. R. China
| | - You Xu
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green-Chemical Synthesis Technology, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, P. R. China
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44
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Wang Y, Yin H, Dong F, Zhao X, Qu Y, Wang L, Peng Y, Wang D, Fang W, Li J. N-Coordinated Cu-Ni Dual-Single-Atom Catalyst for Highly Selective Electrocatalytic Reduction of Nitrate to Ammonia. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2207695. [PMID: 36793161 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202207695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
As a traditional method of ammonia (NH3 ) synthesis, Haber-Bosch method expends a vast amount of energy. An alternative route for NH3 synthesis is proposed from nitrate (NO3 - ) via electrocatalysis. However, the structure-activity relationship remains challenging and requires in-depth research both experimentally and theoretically. Here an N-coordinated Cu-Ni dual-single-atom catalyst anchored in N-doped carbon (Cu/Ni-NC) is reported, which has competitive activity with a maximal NH3 Faradaic efficiency of 97.28%. Detailed characterizations demonstrate that the high activity of Cu/Ni-NC mainly comes from the contribution of Cu-Ni dual active sites. That is, (1) the electron transfer (Ni → Cu) reveals the strong electron interaction of Cu-Ni dual-single-atom; (2) the strong hybridizations of Cu 3d-and Ni 3d-O 2p orbitals of NO3 - can accelerate electron transfer from Cu-Ni dual-site to NO3 - ; (3) Cu/Ni-NC can effectively decrease the rate-limiting step barriers, suppress N-N coupling for N2 O and N2 formation and hydrogen production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunlong Wang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China
- Sinopec Research Institute of Petroleum Processing Co., Ltd, Beijing, 100083, P. R. China
| | - Haibo Yin
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China
| | - Feng Dong
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoguang Zhao
- Sinopec Research Institute of Petroleum Processing Co., Ltd, Beijing, 100083, P. R. China
| | - Yakun Qu
- Sinopec Research Institute of Petroleum Processing Co., Ltd, Beijing, 100083, P. R. China
| | - Lixin Wang
- Sinopec Research Institute of Petroleum Processing Co., Ltd, Beijing, 100083, P. R. China
| | - Yue Peng
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China
| | - Dingsheng Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China
| | - Wei Fang
- Sinopec Research Institute of Petroleum Processing Co., Ltd, Beijing, 100083, P. R. China
| | - Junhua Li
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China
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45
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Wei X, Liu Y, Zhu X, Bo S, Xiao L, Chen C, Nga TTT, He Y, Qiu M, Xie C, Wang D, Liu Q, Dong F, Dong CL, Fu XZ, Wang S. Dynamic Reconstitution Between Copper Single Atoms and Clusters for Electrocatalytic Urea Synthesis. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2300020. [PMID: 36744440 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202300020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Electrocatalytic CN coupling between carbon dioxide and nitrate has emerged to meet the comprehensive demands of carbon footprint closing, valorization of waste, and sustainable manufacture of urea. However, the identification of catalytic active sites and the design of efficient electrocatalysts remain a challenge. Herein, the synthesis of urea catalyzed by copper single atoms decorated on a CeO2 support (denoted as Cu1 -CeO2 ) is reported. The catalyst exhibits an average urea yield rate of 52.84 mmol h-1 gcat. -1 at -1.6 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode. Operando X-ray absorption spectra demonstrate the reconstitution of copper single atoms (Cu1 ) to clusters (Cu4 ) during electrolysis. These electrochemically reconstituted Cu4 clusters are real active sites for electrocatalytic urea synthesis. Favorable CN coupling reactions and urea formation on Cu4 are validated using operando synchrotron-radiation Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and theoretical calculations. Dynamic and reversible transformations of clusters to single-atom configurations occur when the applied potential is switched to an open-circuit potential, endowing the catalyst with superior structural and electrochemical stabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxiao Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Advanced Catalytic Engineering Research Center of the Ministry of Education, Hunan University, Changsha, 410012, China
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518060, China
| | - Yingying Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Advanced Catalytic Engineering Research Center of the Ministry of Education, Hunan University, Changsha, 410012, China
| | - Xiaorong Zhu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, 226007, China
| | - Shuowen Bo
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230052, China
| | - Lei Xiao
- Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610056, China
| | - Chen Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Advanced Catalytic Engineering Research Center of the Ministry of Education, Hunan University, Changsha, 410012, China
| | - Ta Thi Thuy Nga
- Department of Physics, Tamkang University, New Taipei City, Taiwan, 251301, China
| | - Yuanqing He
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Advanced Catalytic Engineering Research Center of the Ministry of Education, Hunan University, Changsha, 410012, China
| | - Mengyi Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Advanced Catalytic Engineering Research Center of the Ministry of Education, Hunan University, Changsha, 410012, China
| | - Chao Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Advanced Catalytic Engineering Research Center of the Ministry of Education, Hunan University, Changsha, 410012, China
| | - Dongdong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Advanced Catalytic Engineering Research Center of the Ministry of Education, Hunan University, Changsha, 410012, China
| | - Qinghua Liu
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230052, China
| | - Fan Dong
- Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610056, China
| | - Chung-Li Dong
- Department of Physics, Tamkang University, New Taipei City, Taiwan, 251301, China
| | - Xian-Zhu Fu
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518060, China
| | - Shuangyin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Advanced Catalytic Engineering Research Center of the Ministry of Education, Hunan University, Changsha, 410012, China
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46
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Zhang H, Wang C, Luo H, Chen J, Kuang M, Yang J. Iron Nanoparticles Protected by Chainmail-structured Graphene for Durable Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction to Nitrogen. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202217071. [PMID: 36468671 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202217071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022]
Abstract
The electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NO3 RR) is an appealing technology for regulating the nitrogen cycle. Metallic iron is one of the well-known electrocatalysts for NO3 RR, but it suffers from poor durability due to leaching and oxidation of iron during the electrocatalytic process. In this work, a graphene-nanochainmail-protected iron nanoparticle (Fe@Gnc) electrocatalyst is reported. It displays superior nitrate removal efficiency and high nitrogen selectivity. Notably, the catalyst delivers exceptional stability and durability, with the nitrate removal rate and nitrogen selectivity remained ≈96 % of that of the first time after up to 40 cycles (24 h for one cycle). As expected, the conductive graphene nanochainmail provides robust protection for the internal iron active sites, allowing Fe@Gnc to maintain its long-lasting electrochemical nitrate catalytic activity. This research proposes a workable solution for the scientific challenge of poor lasting ability of iron-based electrocatalysts in large-scale industrialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China.,Center for Civil Aviation Composites, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Chuqi Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Hongxia Luo
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Junliang Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Min Kuang
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Jianping Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
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47
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Zha Y, Liu M, Wang J, Feng J, Li D, Zhao D, Zhang S, Shi T. Electrochemical ammonia synthesis by reduction of nitrate on Au doped Cu nanowires †. RSC Adv 2023; 13:9839-9844. [PMID: 36998524 PMCID: PMC10043758 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra00679d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NO3−RR) to synthesize valuable ammonia (NH3) is considered as a green and appealing alternative to enable an artificial nitrogen cycle. However, as there are other NO3−RR pathways present, selectively guiding the reaction pathway towards NH3 is currently challenged by the lack of efficient catalyst. Here, we demonstrate a novel electrocatalyst for NO3−RR consisting of Au doped Cu nanowires on a copper foam (CF) electrode (Au–Cu NWs/CF), which delivers a remarkable NH3 yield rate of 5336.0 ± 159.2 μg h−1 cm−2 and an exceptional faradaic efficiency (FE) of 84.1 ± 1.0% at −1.05 V (vs. RHE). The 15N isotopic labelling experiments confirm that the yielded NH3 is indeed from the Au–Cu NWs/CF catalyzed NO3−RR process. The XPS analysis and in situ infrared spectroscopy (IR) spectroscopy characterization results indicated that the electron transfer between the Cu and Au interface and oxygen vacancy synergistically decreased the reduction reaction barrier and inhibited the generation of hydrogen in the competitive reaction, resulting in a high conversion, selectivity and FE for NO3−RR. This work not only develops a powerful strategy for the rational design of robust and efficient catalysts by defect engineering, but also provides new insights for selective nitrate electroreduction to NH3. Electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NO3−RR) to synthesize valuable ammonia (NH3) is considered as a green and appealing alternative to enable an artificial nitrogen cycle.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuankang Zha
- Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of SciencesHefei 230031China
- University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei 230026China
| | - Min Liu
- Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of SciencesHefei 230031China
| | - Jinlu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of SciencesHefei 230031China
| | - Jiyu Feng
- Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of SciencesHefei 230031China
| | - Daopeng Li
- Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of SciencesHefei 230031China
| | - Dongnan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of SciencesHefei 230031China
| | - Shengbo Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of SciencesHefei 230031China
- University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei 230026China
| | - Tongfei Shi
- Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of SciencesHefei 230031China
- University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei 230026China
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48
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Dai X, Tian L, Liu Z, Xu W, Liu YP, Liu Y. Nanoreactor Based on Cyclodextrin for Direct Electrocatalyzed Ammonia Synthesis. ACS NANO 2022; 16:18398-18407. [PMID: 36331255 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c06441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The high-efficiency transition metal-free electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (NO3-RR) for ammonia synthesis has received more attention because of its green and environmentally friendly characteristics. Here, we report an efficient electrochemical NH3 synthesis directly from purely organic macrocyclic compounds α-, β-, and γ-cyclodextrins (CDs)-catalyzed transition metal-free electroreduction of nitrate under ambient conditions. In comparison with α-, and β-CDs, parent γ-CD presented uncommon catalytic performance with a relatively higher NH3 yield that can reach up to 2.28 mg h-1 cm-2 with a Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 63.2% at -0.9 V versus a reversible hydrogen electrode in alkaline medium, and the potassium ion-coordinated γ-CD complex can achieve a maximum NH3 production rate up to 4.66 mg h-1 cm-2 with an NH3 FE of 79.3%. Further comparison with permethyl-γ-CD, d-glucose, and poly(vinyl alcohol) for the NO3-RR indicated that the typical torus-shaped cyclic conformation and edge hydroxyl groups of parent CDs play important roles in the electrocatalytic process. The K+-mediated 3D γ-CD-K+ frameworks containing six CDs as nanoreactors greatly strengthen the enrichment effect of nitrate through hydrogen-bonding interaction and electrostatic interaction and promote the mass transfer, thus leading to the efficient NO3-RR in an alkaline electrolyte. This work provides a convenient, green, and economic method for high-performance NO3-RR, which has potential applications in the fields of environment, energy, and industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianyin Dai
- College of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry Nankai University, Tianjin300071, People's Republic of China
| | - Lu Tian
- College of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Advanced Energy Materials Chemistry (Ministry of Education), Nankai University, Tianjin300071, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhixue Liu
- College of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry Nankai University, Tianjin300071, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenshi Xu
- College of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry Nankai University, Tianjin300071, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu-Ping Liu
- College of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Advanced Energy Materials Chemistry (Ministry of Education), Nankai University, Tianjin300071, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Liu
- College of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry Nankai University, Tianjin300071, People's Republic of China
- Haihe Laboratory of Sustainable Chemical Transformations, Tianjin300192, People's Republic of China
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