@article{Guo2025, 
author = {Chengyu Guo and Longyun Shen and Yujun Tang and Mengyao Chen and Xianxing Zhou and Francesco Ciucci and Zhenghua Tang},
title = {Ru single atoms anchored on Co-NC for nitrate electroreduction toward NH3 synthesis},
year = {2025},
journal = {Nano Research},
volume = {18},
number = {8},
pages = {94907623},
keywords = {Ru single atoms anchored on Co, N co-doped carbon materials (Ru SAs/Co-NC), nitrate reduction reaction, density functional theory, synergistic effect, *H adsorption},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.26599/NR.2025.94907623},
doi = {10.26599/NR.2025.94907623},
abstract = {Electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) represents a prospective approach to convert the hazardous NO3− waste into valuable NH3 product. Yet, designing highly efficient and durable catalyst with high NH3 formation selectivity is still challenging. Herein, we report a catalyst of Ru SAs/Co-NC with Ru single atoms (Ru SAs) anchored on Co, N co-doped carbon materials (Co-NC) for efficient NO3RR catalysis to generate NH3. The Ru single atoms were prepared through in-situ transformation of metal nodes in metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), and the confinement in MOFs ensured the atomical dispersion of Ru atoms. The Ru SAs/Co-NC catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic performance toward NO3RR, evidenced by a NH3 Faradaic efficiency of 96.3% and yield rate of 1.12 mmol·h−1·cm−2 at −0.5 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), as well as good cycling stability. The density functional theory calculations revealed a Ru–Co synergistic catalytic effect, where the Co site promotes H2O dissociation to supply sufficient *H for continuous hydrogenation/deoxygenation, and the Ru site is able to achieve enhanced NO3− adsorption and accelerated hydrogenation process to form NH3 eventually.}
}