TY - JOUR
T1 - Alternative route for electrochemical ammonia synthesis by reduction of nitrate on copper nanosheets
AU - Fu, Xianbiao
AU - Zhao, Xingang
AU - Hu, Xiaobing
AU - He, Kun
AU - Yu, Yanan
AU - Li, Tao
AU - Tu, Qing
AU - Qian, Xin
AU - Yue, Qin
AU - Wasielewski, Michael R.
AU - Kang, Yijin
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2020/6
Y1 - 2020/6
N2 - We propose an efficient and clean avenue for ammonia synthesis, via electroreduction of nitrate which could be obtained from industrial wastewater, domestic sewage, sodium nitrate ore, and nitrification of bacteria and electrochemical oxidation of nitrogen, which addresses the water pollution issues and simultaneously upgrades the nitrate to high-value ammonia. At a low overpotential of −0.15 V versus RHE, Cu nanosheets achieved an ammonia formation rate of 390.1 μg mg−1 Cu h−1 and a Faradaic efficiency of 99.7%, attributed to suppression of the HER activity and apparent improvement of the rate of rate-determining step on Cu (111). Such an ammonia formation rate is more than two orders of magnitude higher than electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction to ammonia. This work not only develops a powerful strategy to the rational design of robust and efficient catalysts by crystal facet engineering, but also provides an alternative route for electrochemical ammonia synthesis by reduction of nitrate.
AB - We propose an efficient and clean avenue for ammonia synthesis, via electroreduction of nitrate which could be obtained from industrial wastewater, domestic sewage, sodium nitrate ore, and nitrification of bacteria and electrochemical oxidation of nitrogen, which addresses the water pollution issues and simultaneously upgrades the nitrate to high-value ammonia. At a low overpotential of −0.15 V versus RHE, Cu nanosheets achieved an ammonia formation rate of 390.1 μg mg−1 Cu h−1 and a Faradaic efficiency of 99.7%, attributed to suppression of the HER activity and apparent improvement of the rate of rate-determining step on Cu (111). Such an ammonia formation rate is more than two orders of magnitude higher than electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction to ammonia. This work not only develops a powerful strategy to the rational design of robust and efficient catalysts by crystal facet engineering, but also provides an alternative route for electrochemical ammonia synthesis by reduction of nitrate.
KW - Copper nanocubes
KW - Copper nanosheets
KW - Electroreduction of nitrate
KW - Electrosynthesis ammonia
KW - Two dimensional material
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U2 - 10.1016/j.apmt.2020.100620
DO - 10.1016/j.apmt.2020.100620
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85081288957
SN - 2352-9407
VL - 19
JO - Applied Materials Today
JF - Applied Materials Today
M1 - 100620
ER -