Highly Efficient Electroenzymatic Cascade Reduction Reaction For The Conversion of Nitrite to Ammonia

The electrochemical nitrite reduction reaction provides an alternative approach to offer sustainable ammonia source routes for repairing imbalances in the global nitrogen cycle. In this work, electrocatalysis is combined with enzymatic catalysis to provide an efficient and clean process for recoverable ammonia production. NO2- is reduced to NH3 by electroenzymatic cascade reduction reaction on a bioconjugate, in which 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (ILBMB) modified chloroperoxidase (CPO) is fixed on polyethyleneimine (PEI) modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) to from bioconjugate (CPO-ILBMB/MWCNT-PEI). N-15 and N-14 isotope labeling reveal that the NH3 species is derived from NO2- reduction. Density functional theory calculations identify that the Fe-II species in heme center of CPO serve as the key active site for NO2- reduction. The amino groups derived from MWCNT-PEI not only serve as a bridge to covalently immobilize CPO but also enrich the NO2- ion at electrode/solution interface through electrostatic interactions. The low energy barrier of NO2- reduction and low adsorption free energy of the intermediate result in high Faradaic efficiency (96.4%), NH3 yield (112.7 mg h(-1) mg(CPO)(-1)), and high selectivity in pH 5.0 solution. The highly efficient electroenzymatic reaction ensurespromising applications in the conversion of NO2- to NH3.

Automated summary

The electrochemical nitrite reduction reaction provides a sustainable approach for repairing imbalances in the nitrogen cycle. In this study, the combination of electrocatalysis and enzymatic catalysis leads to an efficient and clean process for ammonia production. The reduction of NO2- to NH3 is achieved through an electroenzymatic cascade reaction on a bioconjugate, which utilizes a modified enzyme fixed on carbon nanotubes. The results demonstrate high efficiency and selectivity, making this approach promising for the conversion of nitrite to ammonia.