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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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2
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Farina R, D’Arrigo G, Alberti A, Scalese S, Capuano GE, Corso D, Screpis GA, Coniglio MA, Condorelli GG, Libertino S. Copper Micro-Flowers for Electrocatalytic Sensing of Nitrate Ions in Water. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 24:4501. [PMID: 39065899 PMCID: PMC11280502 DOI: 10.3390/s24144501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2024] [Revised: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
The progressive increase in nitrate's (NO3-) presence in surface and groundwater enhances environmental and human health risks. The aim of this work is the fabrication and characterization of sensitive, real-time, low-cost, and portable amperometric sensors for low NO3- concentration detection in water. Copper (Cu) micro-flowers were electrodeposited on top of carbon screen-printed electrodes (SPCEs) via cyclic voltammetry (with voltage ranging from -1.0 V to 0.0 V at a scan rate of 0.1 V s-1). The obtained sensors exhibited a high catalytic activity toward the electro-reduction in NO3-, with a sensitivity of 44.71 μA/mM. They had a limit of detection of 0.87 µM and a good dynamic linear concentration range from 0.05 to 3 mM. The results were compared to spectrophotometric analysis. In addition, the devices exhibited good stability and a maximum standard deviation (RSD) of 5% after ten measurements; reproducibility, with a maximum RSD of 4%; and repeatability after 10 measurements with the RSD at only 5.63%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Farina
- IMM–CNR, Strada VIII Z.I., 5, 95121 Catania, Italy; (G.D.); (A.A.); (S.S.); (G.E.C.); (D.C.)
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università Degli Studi di Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy;
| | - Giuseppe D’Arrigo
- IMM–CNR, Strada VIII Z.I., 5, 95121 Catania, Italy; (G.D.); (A.A.); (S.S.); (G.E.C.); (D.C.)
| | - Alessandra Alberti
- IMM–CNR, Strada VIII Z.I., 5, 95121 Catania, Italy; (G.D.); (A.A.); (S.S.); (G.E.C.); (D.C.)
| | - Silvia Scalese
- IMM–CNR, Strada VIII Z.I., 5, 95121 Catania, Italy; (G.D.); (A.A.); (S.S.); (G.E.C.); (D.C.)
| | - Giuseppe E. Capuano
- IMM–CNR, Strada VIII Z.I., 5, 95121 Catania, Italy; (G.D.); (A.A.); (S.S.); (G.E.C.); (D.C.)
| | - Domenico Corso
- IMM–CNR, Strada VIII Z.I., 5, 95121 Catania, Italy; (G.D.); (A.A.); (S.S.); (G.E.C.); (D.C.)
| | - Giuseppe A. Screpis
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Chirurgiche e Tecnologie Avanzate “G.F. Ingrassia”, Università Degli Studi di Catania, Via S. Sofia 87, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.A.S.); (M.A.C.)
| | - Maria Anna Coniglio
- IMM–CNR, Strada VIII Z.I., 5, 95121 Catania, Italy; (G.D.); (A.A.); (S.S.); (G.E.C.); (D.C.)
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Chirurgiche e Tecnologie Avanzate “G.F. Ingrassia”, Università Degli Studi di Catania, Via S. Sofia 87, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.A.S.); (M.A.C.)
| | - Guglielmo G. Condorelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università Degli Studi di Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy;
| | - Sebania Libertino
- IMM–CNR, Strada VIII Z.I., 5, 95121 Catania, Italy; (G.D.); (A.A.); (S.S.); (G.E.C.); (D.C.)
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3
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Chipoco Haro DA, Barrera L, Iriawan H, Herzog A, Tian N, Medford AJ, Shao-Horn Y, Alamgir FM, Hatzell MC. Electrocatalysts for Inorganic and Organic Waste Nitrogen Conversion. ACS Catal 2024; 14:9752-9775. [PMID: 38988657 PMCID: PMC11232026 DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.4c01398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Anthropogenic activities have disrupted the natural nitrogen cycle, increasing the level of nitrogen contaminants in water. Nitrogen contaminants are harmful to humans and the environment. This motivates research on advanced and decarbonized treatment technologies that are capable of removing or valorizing nitrogen waste found in water. In this context, the electrocatalytic conversion of inorganic- and organic-based nitrogen compounds has emerged as an important approach that is capable of upconverting waste nitrogen into valuable compounds. This approach differs from state-of-the-art wastewater treatment, which primarily converts inorganic nitrogen to dinitrogen, and organic nitrogen is sent to landfills. Here, we review recent efforts related to electrocatalytic conversion of inorganic- and organic-based nitrogen waste. Specifically, we detail the role that electrocatalyst design (alloys, defects, morphology, and faceting) plays in the promotion of high-activity and high-selectivity electrocatalysts. We also discuss the impact of wastewater constituents. Finally, we discuss the critical product analyses required to ensure that the reported performance is accurate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danae A Chipoco Haro
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, North Avenue 771 Ferst Dr., Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Luisa Barrera
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 770 Ferst Ave, Atlanta, Georgia 30309, United States
| | - Haldrian Iriawan
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Antonia Herzog
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Nianhan Tian
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Andrew J Medford
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Yang Shao-Horn
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Faisal M Alamgir
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, North Avenue 771 Ferst Dr., Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Marta C Hatzell
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 770 Ferst Ave, Atlanta, Georgia 30309, United States
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Kuznetsova I, Lebedeva O, Kultin D, Mashkin M, Kalmykov K, Kustov L. Enhancing Efficiency of Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia by Fe and Co Nanoparticle-Based Bimetallic Electrocatalyst. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7089. [PMID: 39000196 PMCID: PMC11241176 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25137089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2024] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The green and sustainable electrocatalytic conversion of nitrogen-containing compounds to ammonia is currently in high demand in order to replace the eco-unfriendly Haber-Bosch process. Model catalysts for the nitrate reduction reaction were obtained by electrodeposition of metal Co, Fe, and bimetallic Fe/Co nanoparticles from aqueous solutions onto a graphite substrate. The samples were characterized by the following methods: SEM, XRD, XPS, UV-vis spectroscopy, cyclic (and linear) voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. In addition, the determination of the electrochemically active surface was also performed for all electrocatalysts. The best electrocatalyst was a sample containing Fe-nanoparticles on the layer of Co-nanoparticles, which showed a Faradaic efficiency of 58.2% (E = -0.785 V vs. RHE) at an ammonia yield rate of 14.6 μmol h-1 cm-2 (at ambient condition). An opinion was expressed to elucidate the mechanism of coordinated electrocatalytic action of a bimetallic electrocatalyst. This work can serve primarily as a starting point for future investigations on electrocatalytic conversion reactions to ammonia using model catalysts of the proposed type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Kuznetsova
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia; (I.K.); (O.L.); (K.K.); (L.K.)
| | - Olga Lebedeva
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia; (I.K.); (O.L.); (K.K.); (L.K.)
| | - Dmitry Kultin
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia; (I.K.); (O.L.); (K.K.); (L.K.)
| | - Mikhail Mashkin
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia; (I.K.); (O.L.); (K.K.); (L.K.)
| | - Konstantin Kalmykov
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia; (I.K.); (O.L.); (K.K.); (L.K.)
| | - Leonid Kustov
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia; (I.K.); (O.L.); (K.K.); (L.K.)
- N.D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospect 47, Moscow 119991, Russia
- Institute of Ecology and Engineering, National Science and Technology University “MISiS”, Leninsky Prospect 4, Moscow 119049, Russia
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5
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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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6
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Kim Y, Ko J, Shim M, Park J, Shin HH, Kim ZH, Jung Y, Byon HR. Identifying the active sites and intermediates on copper surfaces for electrochemical nitrate reduction to ammonia. Chem Sci 2024; 15:2578-2585. [PMID: 38362436 PMCID: PMC10866343 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc05793c] [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: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Copper (Cu) is a widely used catalyst for the nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR), but its susceptibility to surface oxidation and complex electrochemical conditions hinders the identification of active sites. Here, we employed electropolished metallic Cu with a predominant (100) surface and compared it to native oxide-covered Cu. The electropolished Cu surface rapidly oxidized after exposure to either air or electrolyte solutions. However, this oxide was reduced below 0.1 V vs. RHE, thus returning to the metallic Cu before NO3RR. It was distinguished from the native oxide on Cu, which remained during NO3RR. Fast NO3- and NO reduction on the metallic Cu delivered 91.5 ± 3.7% faradaic efficiency for NH3 at -0.4 V vs. RHE. In contrast, the native oxide on Cu formed undesired products and low NH3 yield. Operando shell-isolated nanoparticle-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SHINERS) analysis revealed the adsorbed NO3-, NO2, and NO species on the electropolished Cu as the intermediates of NH3. Low overpotential NO3- and NO adsorptions and favorable NO reduction are key to increased NH3 productivity over Cu samples, which was consistent with the DFT calculation on Cu(100).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohan Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) 291, Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu Daejeon 34141 Republic of Korea
| | - Jinyoung Ko
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu Daejeon 34141 Republic of Korea
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University Seoul 08826 Republic of Korea
| | - Minyoung Shim
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) 291, Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu Daejeon 34141 Republic of Korea
| | - Jiwon Park
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) 291, Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu Daejeon 34141 Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Hang Shin
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University Seoul 08826 Republic of Korea
| | - Zee Hwan Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University Seoul 08826 Republic of Korea
| | - Yousung Jung
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu Daejeon 34141 Republic of Korea
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University Seoul 08826 Republic of Korea
| | - Hye Ryung Byon
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) 291, Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu Daejeon 34141 Republic of Korea
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Zhang G, Zhang N, Chen K, Zhao X, Chu K. Atomically Mo-Doped SnO 2-x for efficient nitrate electroreduction to ammonia. J Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 649:724-730. [PMID: 37385037 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.06.160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Electrochemical NO3--to-NH3 reduction (NO3RR) emerges as an appealing strategy to alleviate contaminated NO3- and generate valuable NH3 simultaneously. However, substantial research efforts are still needed to advance the development of efficient NO3RR catalysts. Herein, atomically Mo-doped SnO2-x with enriched O-vacancies (Mo-SnO2-x) is reported as a high-efficiency NO3RR catalyst, delivering the highest NH3-Faradaic efficiency of 95.5% with a corresponding NH3 yield rate of 5.3 mg h-1 cm-2 at -0.7 V (RHE). Experimental and theoretical investigations reveal that d-p coupled Mo-Sn pairs constructed on Mo-SnO2-x can synergistically enhance the electron transfer efficiency, activate the NO3- and reduce the protonation barrier of rate-determining step (*NO→*NOH), thereby drastically boosting the NO3RR kinetics and energetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guike Zhang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Nana Zhang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Kai Chen
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Xiaolin Zhao
- National Engineering Laboratory for Electric Vehicles, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, Beijing, China
| | - Ke Chu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, China.
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8
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Liu Y, Yao XM, Liu X, Liu Z, Wang YQ. Cu 2+1O/Ag Heterostructure for Boosting the Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia Performance. Inorg Chem 2023; 62:7525-7532. [PMID: 37133541 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c00857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (ENO3RR) is an alternative, sustainable, and environmentally friendly value-added NH3 synthesis method under ambient conditions relative to the traditional Haber-Bosch process; however, its low NH3 yield, low Faradaic efficiency (FE), low selectivity, and low conversion rate severely restrict the development. In this work, a Cu2+1O/Ag-CC heterostructured electrocatalyst was successfully fabricated by constructing a heterogeneous interface between Cu2+1O and Ag for selective electrochemical nitrate-to-ammonia conversion. The construction of the heterogeneous interface effectively promotes the synergistic effect of the catalytically active components Cu2+1O and Ag, which enhances the material conductivity, accelerates the interfacial electron transfer, and exposes more active sites, thus improving the performance of ENO3RR. Such Cu2+1O/Ag-CC manifests a high NH3 yield of 2.2 mg h-1 cm-2 and a notable ammonia FE of 85.03% at the optimal applied potential of -0.74 V vs RHE in a relatively low concentration of 0.01 M NO3--containing 0.1 M KOH. Moreover, it shows excellent electrochemical stability during the cycle tests. Our study not only provides an efficient catalyst for ammonia electro-synthesis from ENO3RR but also an effective strategy for the construction of ENO3RR electrocatalysts for electrocatalytic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Liu
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Physics of Rare Earth Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Inner Mongolia University, Huhhot 010021, China
| | - Xiao-Man Yao
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Physics of Rare Earth Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Inner Mongolia University, Huhhot 010021, China
| | - Xu Liu
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Physics of Rare Earth Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Inner Mongolia University, Huhhot 010021, China
| | - Zhiliang Liu
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Physics of Rare Earth Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Inner Mongolia University, Huhhot 010021, China
| | - Yan-Qin Wang
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Physics of Rare Earth Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Inner Mongolia University, Huhhot 010021, China
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9
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Fang Q, Yin H, Mao X, Han Y, Yan C, O'Mullane AP, Du A. Theoretical Evaluation of Highly Efficient Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia on InBi. J Phys Chem Lett 2023; 14:2410-2415. [PMID: 36856465 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c03900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Electrocatalytic reduction of nitrate to ammonia has become a popular approach for wastewater treatment and ammonia production. However, the development of highly efficient electrocatalysts remains a great challenge. Herein, we systematically studied the potential of InBi for nitrate reduction to ammonia (NRA) based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Our results reveal that InBi exhibits high activity for NRA via an O-end pathway, where the free energy evolution of all intermediates is downhill in the most favorable elementary steps. The activation of nitrate originates from the strong orbital hybridization between oxygen and indium atoms, leading to an enhanced charge transfer as well as NO3- adsorption. In particular, the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is effectively suppressed due to the weak adsorption of proton. Our study not only proves the great electrocatalytic potential of InBi as a novel catalyst for NRA but also points out a new way to design NRA electrocatalysts for practical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingchao Fang
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Gardens Point Campus, Brisbane, Queensland, 4000, Australia
| | - Hanqing Yin
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Gardens Point Campus, Brisbane, Queensland, 4000, Australia
- QUT Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Gardens Point Campus, Brisbane, Queensland, 4000, Australia
| | - Xin Mao
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Gardens Point Campus, Brisbane, Queensland, 4000, Australia
| | - Yun Han
- School of Engineering and Built Environment, Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, Nathan Campus, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia
| | - Cheng Yan
- School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Gardens Point Campus, Brisbane, Queensland 4000, Australia
| | - Anthony P O'Mullane
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Gardens Point Campus, Brisbane, Queensland, 4000, Australia
| | - Aijun Du
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Gardens Point Campus, Brisbane, Queensland, 4000, Australia
- QUT Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Gardens Point Campus, Brisbane, Queensland, 4000, Australia
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10
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Yang GL, Hsieh CT, Ho YS, Kuo TC, Kwon Y, Lu Q, Cheng MJ. Gaseous CO 2 Coupling with N-Containing Intermediates for Key C–N Bond Formation during Urea Production from Coelectrolysis over Cu. ACS Catal 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.2c02346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Guo-Lin Yang
- Department of Chemistry, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Tien Hsieh
- Department of Chemistry, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan
| | - Yeu-Shiuan Ho
- Department of Chemistry, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan
| | - Tung-Chun Kuo
- Department of Chemistry, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan
| | - Youngkook Kwon
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Qi Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 10084, China
| | - Mu-Jeng Cheng
- Department of Chemistry, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan
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11
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Chen H, Zhang C, Sheng L, Wang M, Fu W, Gao S, Zhang Z, Chen S, Si R, Wang L, Yang B. Copper single-atom catalyst as a high-performance electrocatalyst for nitrate-ammonium conversion. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 434:128892. [PMID: 35452979 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR), as a promising alternative to the Haber-Bosh process, provides new opportunities for ammonia (NH3) production from the environmental and energy viewpoint. However, the NH3 yield rate and selectivity for NO3RR are still limited due to the lack of efficient electrocatalysts. Herein, we demonstrate an active and selective copper single-atom catalyst (Cu-N-C) for nitrate reduction to NH3. The complete conversion of nitrate (50 mg L-1 NO-3-N) was achieved at -1.5 V vs. SCE with a high NH3 yield rate (9.23 mg h-1 mg-1cat.) and selectivity (94%). Remarkably, Cu-N-C dramatically inhibited the formation of toxic nitrite and double-nitrogen products due to the enhanced nitrite adsorption and restrained N-N coupling that led to nitrate deep reduction to NH3. The remaining nitrate (0.06 mg L-1) and nitrite (1 mg L-1) fully meet the drinking-water standards. Density functional theory simulations reveal that the single-site nature of Cu-N-C facilitated the reduction of HNO*3 to NO*2 and NH*2 to NH3, thus leading to the selective nitrate reduction to NH3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huihuang Chen
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, PR China; National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, PR China
| | - Chunqing Zhang
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, PR China
| | - Li Sheng
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, PR China
| | - Miaomiao Wang
- Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201204, PR China
| | - Weng Fu
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia
| | - Shuai Gao
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia
| | - Zhirong Zhang
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, PR China
| | - Shaoqing Chen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, PR China
| | - Rui Si
- Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201204, PR China
| | - Lianzhou Wang
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia
| | - Bo Yang
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, PR China.
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12
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Wang G, Shen P, Luo Y, Li X, Li X, Chu K. A vacancy engineered MnO 2-x electrocatalyst promotes nitrate electroreduction to ammonia. Dalton Trans 2022; 51:9206-9212. [PMID: 35662293 DOI: 10.1039/d2dt01431a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The NO3- reduction reaction (NO3RR) has recently emerged as a potential approach for sustainable and efficient NH3 production, whereas exploring high-performance NO3RR electrocatalysts is highly desirable yet challenging. Herein, we attempted to construct O-vacancies (OVs) on MnO2 nanosheets and the resulting OV-rich MnO2-x showed a high NH3 yield of 3.34 mg h-1 cm-2 (at -1.0 V vs. RHE) and an excellent FE of 92.4% (at -0.9 V vs. RHE), together with the outstanding stability. DFT calculations reveal that OVs on MnO2 serve as catalytic centers to enhance NO3- adsorption and dissociation, reduce the energy barriers of hydrogenation steps and thus promote NO3--to-NH3 conversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guohui Wang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, China.
| | - Peng Shen
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, China.
| | - Yaojing Luo
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, China.
| | - Xiaotian Li
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, China.
| | - Xingchuan Li
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, China.
| | - Ke Chu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, China.
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Nassar H, Zyoud A, Helal HH, Ghannam H, Woo Kim T, Helal MH, Hilal HS. Fluorine tin oxide-supported copper nanofilms as effective and selective de-nitration electrocatalysts. J Electroanal Chem (Lausanne) 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jelechem.2022.116249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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14
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Estejab A, García Cárcamo RA, Getman RB. Influence of an electrified interface on the entropy and energy of solvation of methanol oxidation intermediates on platinum(111) under explicit solvation. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:4251-4261. [PMID: 35107094 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp05358b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Liquid water and electric fields play significant roles in phenomena occurring at catalytic and electrocatalytic interfaces; however, how their interplay influences interfacial energetics remains uncertain. Electric fields control the orientations of water molecules, which we hypothesized would influence the solvation thermodynamics of surface species. To explore this hypothesis, we used multiscale simulations involving density functional theory and classical molecular dynamics. We computed the energies and entropies of solvation of surface species on Pt(111), specifically, adsorbed CH3OH, COH, and CO, which are intermediates in the pathway of methanol oxidation, in the presence of electric fields spanning -0.5 to +0.5 V Å-1. We found that both the energy and entropy of solvation depend on the strength and direction of the field, with the entropy of solvation being significantly impacted. Both the energy and entropy dependence on the field can be ascribed to water molecule orientations. Specifically, more positive fields orient water molecules so that they can more effectively hydrogen bond with surface species, which strengthens the energies of solvation. However, at more negative fields, competition with the surface species causes interfacial water molecules to reorient, which leads to disorder in the water structure and hence increased entropy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Estejab
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634-0909, USA.
| | - Ricardo A García Cárcamo
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634-0909, USA.
| | - Rachel B Getman
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634-0909, USA.
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