1
|
Zhang W, Yao Y, Chen Z, Zhao S, Guo F, Zhang L. Fluorine Modification Promoted Water Dissociation into Atomic Hydrogen on a Copper Electrode for Efficient Neutral Nitrate Reduction and Ammonia Recovery. Environ Sci Technol 2024; 58:7208-7216. [PMID: 38615328 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c00151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction to ammonia (NITRR) offers an attractive solution for alleviating environmental concerns, yet in neutral media, it is challenging as a result of the reliance on the atomic hydrogen (H*) supply by breaking the stubborn HO-H bond (∼492 kJ/mol) of H2O. Herein, we demonstrate that fluorine modification on a Cu electrode (F-NFs/CF) favors the formation of an O-H···F hydrogen bond at the Cu-H2O interface, remarkably stretching the O-H bond of H2O from 0.98 to 1.01 Å and lowering the energy barrier of water dissociation into H* from 0.64 to 0.35 eV at neutral pH. As a benefit from these advantages, F-NFs/CF could rapidly reduce NO3- to NH3 with a rate constant of 0.055 min-1 and a NH3 selectivity of ∼100%, far higher than those (0.004 min-1 and 9.2%) of the Cu counterpart. More importantly, we constructed a flow-through coupled device consisting of a NITRR electrolyzer and a NH3 recovery unit, realizing 98.1% of total nitrogen removal with 99.3% of NH3 recovery and reducing the denitrification cost to $5.1/kg of N. This study offers an effective strategy to manipulate the generation of H* from water dissociation for efficient NO3--to-NH3 conversion and sheds light on the importance of surface modification on a Cu electrode toward electrochemical reactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weixing Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, Institute of Environmental & Applied Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, People's Republic of China
| | - Yancai Yao
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Ziyue Chen
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, Institute of Environmental & Applied Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, People's Republic of China
| | - Shengxi Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, Institute of Environmental & Applied Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, People's Republic of China
| | - Furong Guo
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, Institute of Environmental & Applied Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, People's Republic of China
| | - Lizhi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, Institute of Environmental & Applied Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, People's Republic of China
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Sun L, Dai C, Wang T, Jin X, Xu ZJ, Wang X. Modulating the Electronic Structure of Cobalt in Molecular Catalysts via Coordination Environment Regulation for Highly Efficient Heterogeneous Nitrate Reduction. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202320027. [PMID: 38317616 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202320027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Ammonia (NH3) is pivotal in modern industry and represents a promising next-generation carbon-free energy carrier. Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (eNO3RR) presents viable solutions for NH3 production and removal of ambient nitrate pollutants. However, the development of eNO3RR is hindered by lacking the efficient electrocatalysts. To address this challenge, we synthesized a series of macrocyclic molecular catalysts for the heterogeneous eNO3RR. These materials possess different coordination environments around metal centers by surrounding subunits. Consequently, electronic structures of the active centers can be altered, enabling tunable activity towards eNO3RR. Our investigation reveals that metal center with an N2(pyrrole)-N2(pyridine) configuration demonstrates superior activity over the others and achieves a high NH3 Faradaic efficiency (FE) of over 90 % within the tested range, where the highest FE of approximately 94 % is obtained. Furthermore, it achieves a production rate of 11.28 mg mgcat -1 h-1, and a turnover frequency of up to 3.28 s-1. Further tests disclose that these molecular catalysts with diverse coordination environments showed different magnetic moments. Theoretical calculation results indicate that variated coordination environments can result in a d-band center variation which eventually affects rate-determining step energy and calculated magnetic moments, thus establishing a correlation between electronic structure, experimental activity, and computational parameters.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Libo Sun
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong SAR, P. R. China
- Cambridge Centre for Advanced Research and Education in Singapore Ltd (Cambridge CARES), CREATE Tower, Singapore, 138602, Singapore
| | - Chencheng Dai
- Cambridge Centre for Advanced Research and Education in Singapore Ltd (Cambridge CARES), CREATE Tower, Singapore, 138602, Singapore
- School of Material Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - Tianjiao Wang
- Cambridge Centre for Advanced Research and Education in Singapore Ltd (Cambridge CARES), CREATE Tower, Singapore, 138602, Singapore
| | - Xindie Jin
- Cambridge Centre for Advanced Research and Education in Singapore Ltd (Cambridge CARES), CREATE Tower, Singapore, 138602, Singapore
| | - Zhichuan J Xu
- Cambridge Centre for Advanced Research and Education in Singapore Ltd (Cambridge CARES), CREATE Tower, Singapore, 138602, Singapore
- School of Material Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong SAR, P. R. China
- Hong Kong Branch of National Precious Metals Material Engineering Research Center, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong SAR, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Xue Y, Yu Q, Fang J, Jia Y, Wang R, Fan J. A Wetting and Capture Strategy Overcoming Electrostatic Repulsion for Electroreduction of Nitrate to Ammonia from Low-Concentration Sewage. Small 2024:e2400505. [PMID: 38477685 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202400505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Ammonia production by electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (NO3 RR) in water streams is anticipated as a zero-carbon route. Limited by dilute nitrate in natural sewage and the electrostatic repulsion between NO3 - and cathode, NO3 RR can hardly be achieved energy-efficiently. The hydrophilic Cu@CuCoO2 nano-island dispersed on support can enrich NO3 - and produce a sensitive current response, followed by electrosynthesis of ammonia through atomic hydrogen (*H) is reported. The accumulated NO3 - can be partially converted to NO2 - without external electric field input, confirming that the Cu@CuCoO2 nano-island can strongly bind NO3 - and then trigger the reduction via dynamic evolution between Cu-Co redox sites. Through the identification of intermediates and theoretical computation. it is found that the N-side hydrogenation of *NO is the optimal reaction step, and the formation of N─N dimer may be prevented. An NH3 product selectivity of 93.5%, a nitrate conversion of 96.1%, and an energy consumption of 0.079 kWh gNH3 -1 is obtained in 48.9 mg-N L-1 naturally nitrate-polluted streams, which outperforms many works using such dilute nitrate influent. Conclusively, the electrocatalytic system provides a platform to guarantee the self-sufficiency of dispersed ammonia production in agricultural regions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yinghao Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, P. R. China
| | - Qihui Yu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Materials Utilization of Nonmetallic Minerals and Solid Wastes, School of Materials Sciences and Technology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, P. R. China
| | - Junhua Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, P. R. China
| | - Yan Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, P. R. China
| | - Rongchang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, P. R. China
| | - Jianwei Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zhou J, Zhu Y, Wen K, Pan F, Ma H, Niu J, Wang C, Zhao J. Efficient and Selective Electrochemical Nitrate Reduction to N 2 Using a Flow-Through Zero-Gap Electrochemical Reactor with a Reconstructed Cu(OH) 2 Cathode: Insights into the Importance of Inter-Electrode Distance. Environ Sci Technol 2024; 58:4824-4836. [PMID: 38408018 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c10936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Electrochemically converting nitrate, a widely distributed nitrogen contaminant, into harmless N2 is a feasible and environmentally friendly route to close the anthropogenic nitrogen-based cycle. However, it is currently hindered by sluggish kinetics and low N2 selectivity, as well as scarce attention to reactor configuration. Here, we report a flow-through zero-gap electrochemical reactor that shows a high performance of nitrate reduction with 100% conversion and 80.36% selectivity of desired N2 in the chlorine-free system at 100 mg-N·L-1 NO3- while maintaining a rapid reduction kinetics of 0.07676 min-1. More importantly, the mass transport and current utilization efficiency are significantly improved by shortening the inter-electrode distance, especially in the zero-gap electrocatalytic system where the current efficiency reached 50.15% at 5 mA·cm-2. Detailed characterizations demonstrated that during the electroreduction process, partial Cu(OH)2 on the cathode surface was reconstructed into stable Cu/Cu2O as the active phase for efficient nitrate reduction. In situ characterizations revealed that the highly selective *NO to *N conversion and the N-N coupling step played crucial roles during the selective reduction of NO3- to N2 in the zero-gap electrochemical system. In addition, theoretical calculations demonstrated that improving the key intermediate *N coverage could effectively facilitate the N-N coupling step, thereby promoting N2 selectivity. Moreover, the environmental and economic benefits and long-term stability shown by the treatment of real nitrate-containing wastewater make our proposed electrocatalytic system more attractive for practical applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jianjun Zhou
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xian 710021, China
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, China
| | - Yunqing Zhu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xian 710021, China
| | - Kaiyue Wen
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xian 710021, China
| | - Fan Pan
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xian 710021, China
| | - Hongrui Ma
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xian 710021, China
| | - Junfeng Niu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Chuanyi Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xian 710021, China
| | - Jincai Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Photochemistry, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Hai Y, Li X, Cao Y, Wang X, Meng L, Yang Y, Luo M. Ammonia Synthesis via Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction Using NiCoO 2 Nanoarrays on a Copper Foam. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2024; 16:11431-11439. [PMID: 38382004 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c16456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Ammonia (NH3) plays a vital role in industrial and agricultural development. The electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (eNO3RR) is an effective method to produce NH3 under environmental conditions but also requires considerably active and selective electrocatalysts. Herein, a copper foam was used as a conductive substrate for the electrode materials. Specifically, a Co metal-organic framework (Co-MOF) was in situ grown on the copper foam, etched, and calcined to form NiCoO2@Cu nanosheets, which were used as cathode electrodes for the eNO3RR. In 0.1 M Na2SO4 with 0.1 M NaNO3 electrolyte, NiCoO2@Cu nanosheets realized an NH3 yield of 5940.73 μg h-1 cm-2 at -0.9 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), with a Faradaic efficiency of 94.2% at -0.7 V vs RHE. After 33 h of the catalytic reaction, the selectivity of NH3-N increased to 99.7%. The excellent electrocatalytic performance of NiCoO2@Cu nanosheets was attributed to the apparent synergistic effect between the Ni atoms and the Co atoms of bimetallic materials. This study shows that the Ni doping of NiCoO2@Cu nanosheets effectively facilitated the adsorption of NO3- on NiCoO2@Cu, and it promoted the eNO3RR.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- 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, PR 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, PR 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, PR 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, PR China
| | - Linghu Meng
- State Key Laboratory of High-efficiency Utilization of Coal and Green Chemical Engineering, School of chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, PR China
| | - Yang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of High-efficiency Utilization of Coal and Green Chemical Engineering, School of chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, PR 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, PR China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Zhou J, Xiong Y, Sun M, Xu Z, Wang Y, Lu P, Liu F, Hao F, Feng T, Ma Y, Yin J, Ye C, Chen B, Xi S, Zhu Y, Huang B, Fan Z. Constructing molecule-metal relay catalysis over heterophase metallene for high-performance rechargeable zinc-nitrate/ethanol batteries. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2311149120. [PMID: 38064508 PMCID: PMC10723141 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2311149120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Zinc-nitrate batteries can integrate energy supply, ammonia electrosynthesis, and sewage disposal into one electrochemical device. However, current zinc-nitrate batteries still severely suffer from the limited energy density and poor rechargeability. Here, we report the synthesis of tetraphenylporphyrin (tpp)-modified heterophase (amorphous/crystalline) rhodium-copper alloy metallenes (RhCu M-tpp). Using RhCu M-tpp as a bifunctional catalyst for nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) and ethanol oxidation reaction in neutral solution, a highly rechargeable and low-overpotential zinc-nitrate/ethanol battery is successfully constructed, which exhibits outstanding energy density of 117364.6 Wh kg-1cat, superior rate capability, excellent cycling stability of ~400 cycles, and potential ammonium acetate production. Ex/in situ experimental studies and theoretical calculations reveal that there is a molecule-metal relay catalysis in NO3RR over RhCu M-tpp that significantly facilitates the ammonia selectivity and reaction kinetics via a low energy barrier pathway. This work provides an effective design strategy of multifunctional metal-based catalysts toward the high-performance zinc-based hybrid energy systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jingwen Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon999077, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China
- Hong Kong Branch of National Precious Metals Material Engineering Research Center, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon999077, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China
- Institute of Chemical Materials, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang621900, China
| | - Yuecheng Xiong
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon999077, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China
- Hong Kong Branch of National Precious Metals Material Engineering Research Center, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon999077, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Mingzi Sun
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon999077, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Zhihang Xu
- Department of Applied Physics Research Institute for Smart Energy, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon999077, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Yunhao Wang
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon999077, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Pengyi Lu
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon999077, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China
- Hong Kong Branch of National Precious Metals Material Engineering Research Center, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon999077, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Fu Liu
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon999077, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Fengkun Hao
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon999077, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Tianyi Feng
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon999077, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Yangbo Ma
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon999077, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Jinwen Yin
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon999077, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Chenliang Ye
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen518060, China
| | - Biao Chen
- School of Material Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin300350, China
| | - Shibo Xi
- Institute of Sustainability for Chemicals, Energy and Environment, A*STAR, Singapore627833, Singapore
| | - Ye Zhu
- Department of Applied Physics Research Institute for Smart Energy, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon999077, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Bolong Huang
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon999077, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Zhanxi Fan
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon999077, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China
- Hong Kong Branch of National Precious Metals Material Engineering Research Center, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon999077, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China
- City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen518057, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Luo H, Li S, Wu Z, Liu Y, Luo W, Li W, Zhang D, Chen J, Yang J. Modulating the Active Hydrogen Adsorption on Fe─N Interface for Boosted Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction with Ultra-Long Stability. Adv Mater 2023; 35:e2304695. [PMID: 37488087 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202304695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
The electrocatalytic reduction of nitrate (NO3 - ) to nitrogen (N2 ) is an environmentally friendly approach for efficient N-cycle management (toward a nitrogen-neutral cycle). However, poor catalyst durability and the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction significantly impede its practical application. Interface-chemistry engineering, utilizing the close relationship between the catalyst surface/interface microenvironment and electron/proton transfer process, has facilitated the development of catalysts with high intrinsic activity and physicochemical durability. This study reports the synthesis of a nitrogen-doped carbon-coated rice-like iron nitride (RL-Fe2 N@NC) electrocatalyst with excellent electrocatalytic nitrate-reduction reaction activity (high N2 selectivity (≈96%) and NO3 - conversion (≈86%)). According to detailed mechanistic investigations by in situ tests and theoretical calculations, the strong hydrogenation ability of iron nitride and enhanced nitrate enrichment of the system synergistically contribute to the rapid hydrogenation of nitrogen-containing species, increasing the intrinsic activity of the catalyst and reducing the occurrence of the competing hydrogen-evolution side reaction. Moreover, RL-Fe2 N@NC shows excellent stability, retaining good NO3 - -to-N2 electrocatalysis activity for more than 40 cycles (one cycle per day). This paper could guide the interfacial design of Fe-based composite nanostructures for electrocatalytic nitrate reduction, facilitating a shift toward nitrogen neutrality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hongxia Luo
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Shuangjun Li
- The Education Ministry Key Lab of Resource Chemistry, Joint International Research Laboratory of Resource Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Functional Materials, and, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Biomimetic Catalysis, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, 200234, China
| | - Ziyang Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Yanbiao Liu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Textile Pollution Controlling Engineering Center of Ministry of Ecology and Environmental, Donghua University, 2999 North Renmin Road, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Wei Luo
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Chemistry, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Dieqing Zhang
- The Education Ministry Key Lab of Resource Chemistry, Joint International Research Laboratory of Resource Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Functional Materials, and, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Biomimetic Catalysis, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, 200234, China
| | - Jun Chen
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, Australian Institute of Innovative Materials, Innovation Campus, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
| | - Jianping Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
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. Adv Mater 2023; 35:e2303107. [PMID: 37730433 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202303107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Ren Y, Tian F, Jin L, Wang Y, Yang J, You S, Liu Y. Fluidic MXene Electrode Functionalized with Iron Single Atoms for Selective Electrocatalytic Nitrate Transformation to Ammonia. Environ Sci Technol 2023. [PMID: 37387677 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c02520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
The growth of renewable energy industries and the ongoing need for fertilizer in agriculture have created a need for sustainable production of ammonia (NH3) using low-cost, environment-friendly techniques. The electrocatalytic nitrate (NO3-) reduction reaction (NO3RR) has the potential to improve both the management of environmental nitrogen and the recycling of synthetic nutrients. However, NO3RR is frequently hindered by the incomplete NO3- conversion, sluggish reaction kinetics, and suppression of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Inspired by specific local electronic structures that are adjustable for single-atom catalysts, this work presents a nanohybrid electrocatalytic filter with iron single atoms (FeSA) immobilized on MXene. The fabricated FeSA/MXene filter exhibited maximum NH3 Faradaic efficiency and selectivity (82.9 and 99.2%, respectively) that were higher than those for filters made of Fe nanoparticles anchored on MXene (FeNP/MXene) (69.2 and 81.3%, respectively) and MXene alone (32.8 and 52.4%, respectively), measured at an initial pH of 7 and an applied potential of -1.4 V vs Ag/AgCl. Density functional theory calculations revealed that, compared to the FeNP/MXene filter, the FeSA/MXene filter prevented the competition from the HER and reduced the activation energy of the potential-limiting step (*NO to *NHO) that made the NH3 synthesis thermodynamically favorable . This work highlights an alternative strategy for achieving a synergistic NO3- removal and nutrient recovery with durable catalytic activity and stability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Ren
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Textile Pollution Controlling Engineering Center of Ministry of Ecology and Environmental, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Fengguo Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Limin Jin
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Textile Pollution Controlling Engineering Center of Ministry of Ecology and Environmental, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Ying Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, 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
| | - Shijie You
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Yanbiao Liu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Textile Pollution Controlling Engineering Center of Ministry of Ecology and Environmental, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Wang Y, Xia S, Cai R, Zhang J, Wang J, Yu C, Cui J, Zhang Y, Wu J, Yang S, Tan HH, Wu Y. Accelerating Industrial-Level NO 3 - Electroreduction to Ammonia on Cu Grain Boundary Sites via Heteroatom Doping Strategy. Small 2023:e2302295. [PMID: 37194952 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202302295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Although the electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (NO3 - RR) is an attractive NH3 synthesis route, it suffers from low yield due to the lack of efficient catalysts. Here, this work reports a novel grain boundary (GB)-rich Sn-Cu catalyst, derived from in situ electroreduction of Sn-doped CuO nanoflower, for effectively electrochemical converting NO3 - to NH3 . The optimized Sn1% -Cu electrode achieves a high NH3 yield rate of 1.98 mmol h-1 cm-2 with an industrial-level current density of -425 mA cm-2 at -0.55 V versus a reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) and a maximum Faradaic efficiency of 98.2% at -0.51 V versus RHE, outperforming the pure Cu electrode. In situ Raman and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies reveal the reaction pathway of NO3 - RR to NH3 by monitoring the adsorption property of reaction intermediates. Density functional theory calculations clarify that the high-density GB active sites and the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) suppression induced by Sn doping synergistically promote highly active and selective NH3 synthesis from NO3 - RR. This work paves an avenue for efficient NH3 synthesis over Cu catalyst by in situ reconstruction of GB sites with heteroatom doping.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
| | - Shuai Xia
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
| | - Rui Cai
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
| | - Jianfang Zhang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
| | - Jiarui Wang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
| | - Cuiping Yu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
| | - Jiewu Cui
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
| | - Jingjie Wu
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Shize Yang
- Eyring Materials Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, 85287, USA
| | - Hark Hoe Tan
- Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Research School of Physics, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Yucheng Wu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
- China International S&T Cooperation Base for Advanced Energy and Environmental Materials & Anhui Provincial International S&T Cooperation Base for Advanced Energy Materials, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Materials and Devices of Anhui Province, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Zheng Y, Qin M, Yu X, Yao H, Zhang W, Xie G, Guo X. Constructing Ru@C 3 N 4 /Cu Tandem Electrocatalyst with Dual-Active Sites for Enhanced Nitrate Electroreduction to Ammonia. Small 2023:e2302266. [PMID: 37178389 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202302266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Electroreduction of nitrate to ammonia reaction (NO3 - RR) is considered as a promising carbon-free energy technique, which can eliminate nitrate from waste-water also produce value-added ammonia. However, it remains a challenge for achieving satisfied ammonia selectivity and Faraday efficiency (FE) due to the complex multiple-electron reduction process. Herein, a novel Tandem electrocatalyst that Ru dispersed on the porous graphitized C3 N4 (g-C3 N4 ) encapsulated with self-supported Cu nanowires (denoted as Ru@C3 N4 /Cu) for NO3 - RR is presented. As expected, a high ammonia yield of 0.249 mmol h-1 cm-2 at -0.9 V and high FENH3 of 91.3% at -0.8 V versus RHE can be obtained, while achieving excellent nitrate conversion (96.1%) and ammonia selectivity (91.4%) in neutral solution. In addition, density functional theory (DFT) calculations further demonstrate that the superior NO3 - RR performance is mainly resulted from the synergistic effect between the Ru and Cu dual-active sites, which can significantly enhance the adsorption of NO3 - and facilitate hydrogenation, as well as suppress the hydrogen evolution reaction, thus lead to highly improved NO3 - RR performances. This novel design strategy would pave a feasible avenue for the development of advanced NO3 - RR electrocatalysts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yinan Zheng
- Key Lab of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule Chemistry of Ministry of Education, The College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, P. R. China
| | - MingXin Qin
- Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Synergistic Innovation of Quantum Information & Quantum technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, P. R. China
| | - Xin Yu
- Key Lab of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule Chemistry of Ministry of Education, The College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, P. R. China
| | - Hu Yao
- Key Lab of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule Chemistry of Ministry of Education, The College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, P. R. China
| | - Wenhua Zhang
- Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Synergistic Innovation of Quantum Information & Quantum technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, P. R. China
| | - Gang Xie
- Key Lab of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule Chemistry of Ministry of Education, The College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, P. R. China
| | - Xiaohui Guo
- Key Lab of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule Chemistry of Ministry of Education, The College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Xue Y, Yu Q, Ma Q, Chen Y, Zhang C, Teng W, Fan J, Zhang WX. Electrocatalytic Hydrogenation Boosts Reduction of Nitrate to Ammonia over Single-Atom Cu with Cu(I)-N 3C 1 Sites. Environ Sci Technol 2022; 56:14797-14807. [PMID: 36175172 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c04456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The conversion of nitrate to ammonia can serve two important functions: mitigating nitrate pollution and offering a low energy intensity pathway for ammonia synthesis. Conventional ammonia synthesis from electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reactions (NO3RR) is often impeded by incomplete nitrate conversion, sluggish kinetics, and the competition of hydrogen evolution reactions. Herein, atomic Cu sites anchored on micro-/mesoporous nitrogen-doped carbon (Cu MNC) with fine-tuned hydrophilicity, micro-/mesoporous channels, and abundant Cu(I) sites were synthesized for selective nitrate reduction to ammonia, achieving ambient temperature and pressure hydrogenation of nitrate. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that the catalyst has an ammonia yield rate per active site of 5466 mmol gCu-1 h-1 and transformed 94.8% nitrate in wastewater containing 100 mg-N L-1 to near drinking water standard (MCL of 5 mg-N L-1) at -0.64 V vs RHE. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and theoretical calculations showed that the coordination environment of Cu(I) sites (Cu(I)-N3C1) localizes the charge around the central Cu atoms and adsorbs *NO3 and *H onto neighboring Cu and C sites with balanced adsorption energy. The Cu(I)-N3C1 moieties reduce the activation energy of rate-limiting steps (*HNO3 → *NO2, *NH2 → *NH3) compared with conventional Cu(II)-N4 and lead to a thermodynamically favorable process to NH3. The as-prepared electrocatalytic cell can run continuously for 84 h (14 cycles) and produce 21.7 mgNH3 with only 5.64 × 10-3 kWh energy consumption, suitable for decentralized nitrate removal and ammonia synthesis from nitrate-containing wastewater.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yinghao Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, P. R. China
| | - Qihui Yu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Materials Utilization of Nonmetallic Minerals and Solid Wastes, National Laboratory of Mineral Materials, School of Materials Sciences and Technology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, P. R. China
| | - Qian Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, P. R. China
| | - Yanyan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, P. R. China
| | - Chuning Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, P. R. China
| | - Wei Teng
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, P. R. China
| | - Jianwei Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, P. R. China
| | - Wei-Xian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Xu B, Chen Z, Zhang G, Wang Y. On-Demand Atomic Hydrogen Provision by Exposing Electron-Rich Cobalt Sites in an Open-Framework Structure toward Superior Electrocatalytic Nitrate Conversion to Dinitrogen. Environ Sci Technol 2022; 56:614-623. [PMID: 34914357 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c06091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Electrocatalytic nitrate (NO3-) reduction to N2 via atomic hydrogen (H*) is a promising approach for advanced water treatment. However, the reduction rate and N2 selectivity are hindered by slow mass transfer and H* provision-utilization mismatch, respectively. Herein, we report an open-framework cathode bearing electron-rich Co sites with extraordinary H* provision performance, which was validated by electron spin resonance (ESR) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) tests. Benefiting from its abundant channels, NO3- has a greater opportunity to be efficiently transferred to the vicinity of the Co active sites. Owing to the enhanced mass transfer and on-demand H* provision, the nitrate removal efficiency and N2 selectivity of the proposed cathode were 100 and 97.89%, respectively, superior to those of noble metal-based electrodes. In addition, in situ differential electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS) indicated that ultrafast *NO2- to *NO reduction and highly selective *NO to *N2O or *N transformation played crucial roles during the NO3- reduction process. Moreover, the proposed electrochemical system can achieve remarkable N2 selectivity without the additional Cl- supply, thus avoiding the formation of chlorinated byproducts, which are usually observed in conventional electrochemical nitrate reduction processes. Environmentally, energy conservation and negligible byproduct release ensure its practicability for use in nitrate remediation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bincheng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Zhixuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Gong Zhang
- Center for Water and Ecology, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ying Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Zheng W, Zhu L, Yan Z, Lin Z, Lei Z, Zhang Y, Xu H, Dang Z, Wei C, Feng C. Self-Activated Ni Cathode for Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia: From Fundamentals to Scale-Up for Treatment of Industrial Wastewater. Environ Sci Technol 2021; 55:13231-13243. [PMID: 34379386 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c02278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Electrocatalytic reduction has recently received increasing attention as a method of converting waste nitrate into value-added ammonia, but most studies have focused on complex strategies of catalyst preparation and little has been done in the way of large-scale demonstrations. Herein, we report that in situ activation of a pristine Ni electrode, either on a lab scale or a pilot scale, is effective in facilitating nitrate reduction to ammonia, exhibiting extraordinarily high activity, selectivity, and stability. The self-activated Ni cathode has a robust capacity to reduce nitrate over a wide range of concentrations and achieves great conversion yield, NH4+-N selectivity, and Faradaic efficiency, respectively, 95.3, 95.5, and 64.4% at 200 mg L-1 NO3--N and 97.8, 97.1, and 90.4% at 2000 mg L-1 NO3--N, for example. Fundamental research indicates that Ni(OH)2 nanoparticles are formed on the Ni electrode surface upon self-activation, which play crucial roles in governing nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) through the atomic H*-mediated pathway and accordingly suppressing hydrogen evolution reaction. More importantly, the self-activated Ni(OH)2@Ni cathode can be easily scaled up to allow large volumes of real industrial wastewater to be processed, successfully transferring nitrate into ammonia with high yields and Faradaic efficiency. This study demonstrates a new, mild, and promising method of cleaning nitrate-laden wastewater that produces ammonia as a valuable byproduct.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenxiao Zheng
- The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
| | - Liuyi Zhu
- The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
| | - Zhang Yan
- The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
| | - Zichao Lin
- The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
| | - Zhenchao Lei
- The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
| | - Yifan Zhang
- The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
| | - Haolin Xu
- The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
| | - Zhi Dang
- The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
| | - Chaohai Wei
- The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
| | - Chunhua Feng
- The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Li L, Tang C, Cui X, Zheng Y, Wang X, Xu H, Zhang S, Shao T, Davey K, Qiao SZ. Efficient Nitrogen Fixation to Ammonia through Integration of Plasma Oxidation with Electrocatalytic Reduction. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:14131-14137. [PMID: 33855782 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202104394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Present one-step N2 fixation is impeded by tough activation of the N≡N bond and low selectivity to NH3 . Here we report fixation of N2 -to-NH3 can be decoupled to a two-step process with one problem effectively solved in each step, including: 1) facile activation of N2 to NOx - by a non-thermal plasma technique, and 2) highly selective conversion of NOx - to NH3 by electrocatalytic reduction. Importantly, this process uses air and water as low-cost raw materials for scalable ammonia production under ambient conditions. For NOx - reduction to NH3 , we present a surface boron-rich core-shell nickel boride electrocatalyst. The surface boron-rich feature is the key to boosting activity, selectivity, and stability via enhanced NOx - adsorption, and suppression of hydrogen evolution and surface Ni oxidation. A significant ammonia production of 198.3 μmol cm-2 h-1 was achieved, together with nearly 100 % Faradaic efficiency.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laiquan Li
- School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
| | - Cheng Tang
- School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
| | - Xiaoyang Cui
- Beijing International S&T Cooperation Base for Plasma Science and Energy Conversion, Institute of Electrical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Yao Zheng
- School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
| | - Xuesi Wang
- School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
| | - Haolan Xu
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA, 5095, Australia
| | - Shuai Zhang
- Beijing International S&T Cooperation Base for Plasma Science and Energy Conversion, Institute of Electrical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Tao Shao
- Beijing International S&T Cooperation Base for Plasma Science and Energy Conversion, Institute of Electrical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Kenneth Davey
- School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
| | - Shi-Zhang Qiao
- School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
| |
Collapse
|