Bimetallic CuCo nanocrystals to tailor absorption energy of intermediators for efficient electrochemical nitrate conversion to ammonia in neutral electrolyte

Article Chemistry, Physical

Ultralow-content Pd in-situ incorporation mediated hierarchical defects in corner-etched Cu2O octahedra for enhanced electrocatalytic nitrate reduction to ammonia

You Xu et al.

Summary: This study designs a low-content Pd-Cu2O CEO catalyst for electrochemical NO3--to-NH3 transformation, which exhibits unique structural features and active sites, enabling efficient and selective ammonia synthesis.

APPLIED CATALYSIS B-ENVIRONMENTAL (2022)

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Article Chemistry, Physical

Highly reactive Cu-Pt bimetallic 3D-electrocatalyst for selective nitrate reduction to ammonia

Gabriel Antonio Cerron-Calle et al.

Summary: Bimetallic Cu-Pt foam electrodes show promise in treating contaminated water sources with nitrate, achieving sustainable ammonia recovery with high selectivity and low energy consumption.

APPLIED CATALYSIS B-ENVIRONMENTAL (2022)

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Article Chemistry, Physical

Metal-organic framework derived carbon-supported bimetallic copper-nickel alloy electrocatalysts for highly selective nitrate reduction to ammonia

Yong Liu et al.

Summary: This study successfully developed efficient catalysts for the reduction of nitrate to ammonia by fabricating a series of CuNi alloy nanoparticles embedded in nitrogen-doped carbon matrix. The catalysts exhibited excellent selectivity and faradaic efficiency, surpassing the performance of monometallic catalysts. The reaction mechanism and key intermediates were revealed through experimental and computational methods. This work provides a new synthetic route for bimetallic catalysts and enhances the understanding of the nitrate to ammonia reaction.

JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE (2022)

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Article Nanoscience & Nanotechnology

Efficient conversion of low-concentration nitrate sources into ammonia on a Ru-dispersed Cu nanowire electrocatalyst

Feng-Yang Chen et al.

Summary: The research team has efficiently converted nitrate, a common pollutant in wastewater and groundwater, into valuable ammonia products using a Ru-dispersed Cu nanowire catalyst through electrochemical methods. This sustainable approach not only treats wastewater but also generates ammonia, but current low catalytic activities pose challenges. However, the team has developed a high-performance catalyst that achieves over 99% nitrate conversion into ammonia and successfully obtains high purity NH4Cl solid and NH3 liquid products.

NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY (2022)

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Article Multidisciplinary Sciences

Splicing the active phases of copper/cobalt-based catalysts achieves high-rate tandem electroreduction of nitrate to ammonia

Wenhui He et al.

Summary: In this study, a design concept of tandem catalysts was proposed to achieve cascade conversion of waste nitrate to valuable ammonia using different transition metal phases. By transforming Cu-Co binary sulfides into Cu/CuOx and Co/CoO phases, efficient NH3 synthesis was achieved. The tandem catalyst system exhibited high Faradaic efficiency and NH3 yield rate in the presence of waste nitrate, and surpassed previous studies in terms of energy efficiency.

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS (2022)

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Article Multidisciplinary Sciences

Breaking adsorption-energy scaling limitations of electrocatalytic nitrate reduction on intermetallic CuPd nanocubes by machine-learned insights

Qiang Gao et al.

Summary: Machine learning is a powerful tool for screening electrocatalytic materials. In this study, the authors integrated machine-learned physical insights with the synthesis of structurally ordered intermetallic nanocrystals to achieve efficient nitrate reduction to ammonia. They discovered that breaking adsorption-energy scaling relations through site-specific Pauli repulsion interactions allows for non-scaling behavior in ordered intermetallics. The authors also synthesized CuPd nanocubes with high performance for nitrate reduction to ammonia.

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS (2022)

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Article Chemistry, Physical

Theoretical Screening of Transition Metal-N4-Doped Graphene for Electroreduction of Nitrate

Yian Wang et al.

Summary: In this study, theoretical screening was performed on transition metal-N-4-doped graphene (TM-N-4/C) as active and selective electrocatalysts for electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR). The study explored detailed reaction mechanisms and activity origins, and found that Cu- and Pt-N-4/C showed high activity for NO3RR via NH3 and N-2 formation pathways, respectively, attributed to optimal NO and N adsorptions. Moreover, Re- and Pt-N-4/C exhibited high selectivity towards NH3 and N-2 formations, respectively. This work provides theoretical insights for the rational design of TM-N-4/C catalysts for NO3RR and offers opportunities for efficient nitrate removal and ammonia synthesis strategies.

ACS CATALYSIS (2022)

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Editorial Material Chemistry, Physical

Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction for Sustainable Ammonia Production

Phebe H. van Langevelde et al.

Summary: Phebe van Langevelde, Ioannis Katsounaros, and Marc Koper are renowned researchers in the field of electrocatalysis and renewable energy. Their research interests span from fundamental aspects of electrocatalysis to physical electrochemistry and theoretical electrochemistry. They have received various national and international awards for their contributions to the field.

JOULE (2021)

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Article Chemistry, Physical

Theoretical Insights into Superior Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia Performance of Copper Catalysts

Tao Hu et al.

Summary: This study investigated the catalytic performance of nitrate reduction to ammonia on copper crystal surfaces and found that Cu(100) and Cu(111) contribute most to NRA, with different optimal pH conditions. The research clarified the NRA pathway and highlighted the influence of pH on the catalytic processes.

ACS CATALYSIS (2021)

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Article Chemistry, Physical

Ammonia and Nitric Acid Demands for Fertilizer Use in 2050

Jeonghoon Lim et al.

Summary: Access to nitrogen-based fertilizers is crucial for maximizing agricultural yield, but the production process contributes significantly to carbon emissions. The market size and value of ammonia and nitric acid will be heavily influenced by the growing global population and food demand over the next three decades. Developing carbon-free technologies for nitrogen and nitrate reduction to meet fertilizer manufacturing demands is essential to address the environmental impact of current production methods.

ACS ENERGY LETTERS (2021)

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Article Multidisciplinary Sciences

Electrochemical ammonia synthesis via nitrate reduction on Fe single atom catalyst

Zhen-Yu Wu et al.

Summary: The study reports a method for selectively converting nitrate to ammonia using an Fe single atom catalyst, which effectively prevents the formation of N-N coupling products while increasing the production rate of ammonia.

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS (2021)

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Article Chemistry, Multidisciplinary

Built-in Electric Field Triggered Interfacial Accumulation Effect for Efficient Nitrate Removal at Ultra-Low Concentration and Electroreduction to Ammonia

Wu-Ji Sun et al.

Summary: The built-in electric field in the electrocatalyst significantly accumulates NO3- ions and lowers the energy of reaction intermediates, leading to efficient nitrate removal and NH3 production. The CuCl (111) and rutile TiO2 (110) electrocatalyst shows the best performance among reported studies at 100 mg L-1 of nitrate concentration.

ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION (2021)

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Article Chemistry, Physical

First-principles mechanistic study on nitrate reduction reactions on copper surfaces: Effects of crystal facets and pH

Yian Wang et al.

Summary: This study investigates the effects of Cu crystal facets and pH on the electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction using a hybrid model. Results show that in acidic media, both Cu(100) and Cu(111) facets produce NH3 through the formation of specific intermediates. In alkaline media, Cu(100) prefers NH2OH formation, while Cu(111) favors NH3 formation. Overall, the (100) facet exhibits higher activity towards nitrate reduction, especially at higher pH levels.

JOURNAL OF CATALYSIS (2021)

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Article Chemistry, Physical

Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction on Oxide-Derived Silver with Tunable Selectivity to Nitrite and Ammonia

Hengzhou Liu et al.

Summary: Research has discovered unique and highly efficient electrocatalytic activity of oxide-derived silver (OD-Ag) in converting NO3- to NO2-, with further reduction to NH4+ achieved by regulating the cathodic potential. The high selectivity and efficiency of OD-Ag in nitrate reduction products make it a promising candidate for denitrifying wastewater treatment and distributed nitrogen product production.

ACS CATALYSIS (2021)

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Article Chemistry, Physical

Structure Sensitivity of Pd Facets for Enhanced Electrochemical Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia

Jeonghoon Lim et al.

Summary: The surface structure of Pd has a significant impact on the activity of nitrate and nitrite reduction, with cuboctahedral catalysts demonstrating the highest ammonia production in an alkaline electrolyte. This suggests that catalytic structural design plays a crucial role in enabling the selective reduction of nitrate to ammonia.

ACS CATALYSIS (2021)

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Article Chemistry, Physical

Alloying effect-induced electron polarization drives nitrate electroreduction to ammonia

Haibo Yin et al.

Summary: PdCu/Cu2O hybrids with mesoporous hollow sphere structure exhibit high selectivity and Faradaic efficiency for NH3 synthesis from NO3(-) due to the electron transfer between Pd and Cu, as well as the blockage of intermediate generation by PdCu alloys.

CHEM CATALYSIS (2021)

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Review Chemistry, Multidisciplinary

Nitrate electroreduction: mechanism insight, in situ characterization, performance evaluation, and challenges

Yuting Wang et al.

Summary: Excessive nitrate ions in the environment pose a significant threat to human health by disrupting the natural nitrogen cycle. Nitrate electroreduction, utilizing green electrons as reductants, shows promise due to its ability to operate under ambient conditions. Understanding the nitrate reaction mechanism is crucial for designing efficient electrocatalysts for selective nitrate reduction.

CHEMICAL SOCIETY REVIEWS (2021)

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Article Chemistry, Physical

Atomic-thin hexagonal CuCo nanocrystals with d-band tuning for CO2 reduction

Yibo Yan et al.

Summary: The study focuses on using ultrathin CuCo nanocrystals for CO2 reduction to ethylene, achieving a high faradaic efficiency. By tailoring the d-band states and synergistic cooperation between Cu and Co, the activity can be boosted while lowering energy barriers for the reaction.

JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A (2021)

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Article Chemistry, Multidisciplinary