Screening of transition metal oxides for electrocatalytic nitrate reduction to ammonia at large currents

Qiongfei Wu; Weijie Zhu; Dongxu Ma; Chao Liang; Zhoucheng Wang; Hanfeng Liang

doi:10.1007/s12274-023-6379-2

Nano Research 2024, 17(5): 3902-3910 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-023-6379-2

Research Article | Issue | Published: 12 January 2024

Screening of transition metal oxides for electrocatalytic nitrate reduction to ammonia at large currents

Show Author's Information Hide Author's Information Qiongfei Wu^{¹^,^§}, Weijie Zhu^{¹^,^§}, Dongxu Ma^¹, Chao Liang^², Zhoucheng Wang^¹, Hanfeng Liang^¹(

)

1State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Tan Kah Kee Innovation Laboratory, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China

2College of Chemical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China

^§ Qiongfei Wu and Weijie Zhu contributed equally to this work.

Keywords:

transition metal oxides, Co₃O₄, nitrate reduction reaction, ammonia production

Topics:

Electrocatalysis

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Wu Q, Zhu W, Ma D, et al. Screening of transition metal oxides for electrocatalytic nitrate reduction to ammonia at large currents. Nano Research, 2024, 17(5): 3902-3910. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-023-6379-2

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Abstract Full text Electronic supplementary material About this article

Abstract

Electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NO₃RR) towards ammonia, as an emerging and appealing technology alternative to the energy-intensive Haber–Bosch process and inefficient nitrogen reduction reaction, has recently aroused wide concern and research. However, the current research of the NO₃RR towards ammonia lacks the overall performance comparison of various electrocatalysts. Given this, we here make a comparison of 12 common transition metal oxide catalysts for the NO₃RR under a high cathodic current density of 0.25 A·cm⁻², wherein Co₃O₄ catalyst displays the highest ammonia Faradaic efficiency (85.15%) and moderate activity (ca. −0.25 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode). Other external factors, such as nitrate concentrations in the electrolyte and applied potential ranges, have also been specifically investigated for the NO₃RR.

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About this article

Screening of transition metal oxides for electrocatalytic nitrate reduction to ammonia at large currents

Show Author's information Hide Author's Information Qiongfei Wu^{¹^,^§}, Weijie Zhu^{¹^,^§}, Dongxu Ma^¹, Chao Liang^², Zhoucheng Wang^¹, Hanfeng Liang^¹(

)

1State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Tan Kah Kee Innovation Laboratory, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China

2College of Chemical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China

^§ Qiongfei Wu and Weijie Zhu contributed equally to this work.

Abstract

Keywords: transition metal oxides, Co₃O₄, nitrate reduction reaction, ammonia production

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Publication history

Received: 10 October 2023

Revised: 24 November 2023

Accepted: 28 November 2023

Published: 12 January 2024

Issue date: May 2024

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Acknowledgements

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, China (No. 20720210010), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 22001081 and 22075236), and the Science and Technology Projects of Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM, No. HRTP-[2022]-7).