@article{Geng2026, 
author = {Huilong Geng and Zhiyi Sun and Chen Li and Liping Wang and Ziteng Zhang and Yinqi Li and Ziheng Zhan and Yan Gao and Zhuo Chen and Zihao Wei and Shenghua Li},
title = {N-bridge anchored asymmetric AgCu dual-atomic catalysts on MXene for efficient nitrate reduction},
year = {2026},
journal = {Nano Research},
volume = {19},
number = {5},
pages = {94908127},
keywords = {MXene, atomic regulation, dual-atom catalyst, nitrate reduction},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.26599/NR.2025.94908127},
doi = {10.26599/NR.2025.94908127},
abstract = {Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) offers a promising route for sustainable ammonia synthesis and wastewater treatment, yet designing highly active and selective catalysts remains challenging. Herein, we construct an N-bridge anchored asymmetric AgCu dual-atomic catalyst (DAC) on Ti3C2Tx MXene (AgCu DAC/Ti3C2Tx) for efficient nitrate electroreduction. The unique N-bridged structure stabilizes the asymmetric AgCu dual sites, enabling synergistic adsorption and activation of nitrate intermediates. In situ X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy confirms the dynamic evolution of the Ag–Cu coordination under reaction conditions, revealing their maintained heteronuclear pairing and electronic coupling during NO3RR. As a result, the AgCu DAC/Ti3C2Tx catalyst achieves a high NH3 Faradaic efficiency of ~ 97.1% with an exceptional yield rate of ~ 3.1 mg·h−1·cm−2 at −0.5 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), surpassing most reported dual-atom catalysts. This work provides insights into the design of asymmetric dual-atomic sites for multi-step catalytic reactions.}
}