PdMoCu Trimetallenes for Nitrate Electroreduction to Ammonia

Ammonia is one of the most important chemicals that is widely used in modern industry and in daily life. Compared with the traditional process, electrocatalytic synthesis of ammonia can be realized under very mild conditions and has attracted increasing attention in recent years. In particular, electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) to ammonia, which can effectively treat industrial wastewater, also provides a new route for ammonia synthesis. Developing highly active electrocatalysts is still the main challenge for the application of electrochemical ammonia synthesis. Herein, we synthesized defect-rich PdMoCu trimetallene with a two-dimensional thin layer structure that can provide abundant active sites. At the same time, the addition of Cu atoms leads to a further increase in catalytic activity through the cooperative effect between elements. The electrocatalytic activity of such a trimetallene for the NO3RR was studied. It was found that, due to the large surface area, abundant active sites, and the synergistic effect in the trimetallene, the prepared nanosheets showed excellent catalytic performance for NO3RR to ammonia. At the optimal potential of -0.6 V, the yield of NH3 can reach 250.4 mu mol h-1 cm-2 with a Faraday efficiency of 56.95%. Moreover, the yield does not decay significantly after 12 h of continuous testing. These results indicate the excellent electrocatalytic activity and stability of the PdMoCu trimetallenes for the NO3RR. This work provides a new type of nanostructured electrocatalyst for efficient ammonia synthesis from the NO3RR.

Automated summary

Electrocatalytic synthesis of ammonia is a significant reaction that has attracted attention due to its mild reaction conditions and various applications. In this study, defect-rich PdMoCu trimetallic nanosheets were synthesized and found to exhibit excellent electrocatalytic activity for the nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) to ammonia. The nanosheets showed high selectivity, stability, and a Faraday efficiency of 56.95% at an optimal potential of -0.6 V.