Tandem Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia on MBenes

We demonstrate the great feasibility of MBenes as a new class of tandem catalysts for electrocatalytic nitrate reduction to ammonia (NO₃RR). As a proof of concept, FeB₂ is first employed as a model MBene catalyst for the NO₃RR, showing a maximum NH₃-Faradaic efficiency of 96.8 % with a corresponding NH₃ yield of 25.5 mg h⁻¹ cm⁻² at −0.6 V vs. RHE. Mechanistic studies reveal that the exceptional NO₃RR activity of FeB₂ arises from the tandem catalysis mechanism, that is, B sites activate NO₃⁻ to form intermediates, while Fe sites dissociate H₂O and increase *H supply on B sites to promote the intermediate hydrogenation and enhance the NO₃⁻-to-NH₃ conversion.     

Achievements,Challenges, and Perspectives on Nitrogen Electrochemistry for Carbon-Neutral Energy Technologies

Unrestrained anthropogenic activities have severely disrupted the global natural nitrogen cycle, causing numerous energy and environmental issues. Electrocatalytic nitrogen transformation is a feasible and promising strategy for achieving a sustainable nitrogen economy. Synergistically combining multiple nitrogen reactions can realize efficient renewable energy storage and conversion, restore the global nitrogen balance, and remediate environmental crises. Here, we provide a unique aspect to discuss the intriguing nitrogen electrochemistry by linking three essential nitrogen-containing compounds (i.e., N₂, NH₃, and NO₃⁻) and integrating four essential electrochemical reactions, i.e., the nitrogen reduction reaction (N₂RR), nitrogen oxidation reaction (N₂OR), nitrate reduction reaction (NO₃RR), and ammonia oxidation reaction (NH₃OR). This minireview also summarizes the acquired knowledge of rational catalyst design and underlying reaction mechanisms for these interlinked nitrogen reactions. We further underscore the associated clean energy technologies and a sustainable nitrogen-based economy.     

Highly Efficient Electrochemical Nitrate and Nitrogen Reduction to Ammonia under Ambient Conditions on Electrodeposited Cu-Nanosphere Electrode

The electrochemical reduction reaction of nitrogenous species such as NO₃⁻ (NO₃RR) and N₂ (NRR) is a promising strategy for producing ammonia under ambient conditions. However, low activity and poor selectivity of both NO₃RR and NRR remain the biggest problem of all current electrocatalysts. In this work, we fabricated Cu-nanosphere film with a high surface area and dominant with a Cu(200) facet by simple electrodeposition method. The Cu-nanosphere film exhibits high electrocatalytic activity for NO₃RR and NRR to ammonia under ambient conditions. In the nitrate environment, the Cu-nanosphere electrode reduced NO₃⁻ to yield NH₃ at a rate of 5.2 mg/h cm², with a Faradaic efficiency of 85 % at −1.3 V. In the N₂-saturated environment, the Cu-nanosphere electrode reduced N₂ to yield NH₃ with the highest yield rate of 16.2 μg/h cm² at −0.5 V, and the highest NH₃ Faradaic efficiency of 41.6 % at −0.4 V. Furthermore, the Cu-nanosphere exhibits excellent stability with the NH₃ yield rate, and the Faradaic efficiency remains stable after 10 consecutive cycles. Such high levels of NH₃ yield, selectivity, and stability at low applied potential are among the best values currently reported in the literature.     

Molecular Engineering of a Metal-Organic Polymer for Enhanced Electrochemical Nitrate-to-Ammonia Conversion and Zinc Nitrate Batteries

Metal–organic framework-based materials are promising single-site catalysts for electrocatalytic nitrate (NO₃⁻) reduction to value-added ammonia (NH₃) on account of well-defined structures and functional tunability but still lack a molecular-level understanding for designing the high-efficient catalysts. Here, we proposed a molecular engineering strategy to enhance electrochemical NO₃⁻-to-NH₃ conversion by introducing the carbonyl groups into 1,2,4,5-tetraaminobenzene (BTA) based metal-organic polymer to precisely modulate the electronic state of metal centers. Due to the electron-withdrawing properties of the carbonyl group, metal centers can be converted to an electron-deficient state, fascinating the NO₃⁻ adsorption and promoting continuous hydrogenation reactions to produce NH₃. Compared to CuBTA with a low NO₃⁻-to-NH₃ conversion efficiency of 85.1 %, quinone group functionalization endows the resulting copper tetraminobenzoquinone (CuTABQ) distinguished performance with a much higher NH₃ FE of 97.7 %. This molecular engineering strategy is also universal, as verified by the improved NO₃⁻-to-NH₃ conversion performance on different metal centers, including Co and Ni. Furthermore, the assembled rechargeable Zn−NO₃⁻ battery based on CuTABQ cathode can deliver a high power density of 12.3 mW cm⁻². This work provides advanced insights into the rational design of metal complex catalysts through the molecular-level regulation for NO₃⁻ electroreduction to value-added NH₃.     

Recent advances in strategies for highly selective electrocatalytic N2 reduction toward ambient NH3 synthesis

Industrial NH₃ production mainly relies on the Haber–Bosch process, which is energy-intensive, heavily dependent on fossil fuels with massive greenhouse gas emission. Electrochemical N₂-to-NH₃ conversion is an attractive method to address this issue. The great challenge for this process is its limited selectivity because of the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction and the sluggish kinetics of N₂ reduction reaction. In this review, we summarize recent progress in strategies in improving the NH₃ selectivity for the electrochemical N₂ reduction reaction, including electrocatalyst tuning, electrolyte choice, and cell configuration design.     

Fe-Doped CoS2 Nanoarrays: Efficient Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia under Ambient Conditions

The electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (NO₃⁻RR) enables the reduction of nitrate to ammonium ions under ambient conditions. It was considered as an alternative reaction for the production of ammonia (NH₃) in recent years. In this paper, we report that the Fe doping CoS₂ nanoarrays can effectively catalyze the formation of NH₃ from nitrate (NO₃⁻) under ambient conditions. This is mainly due to the increase of the NO₃⁻ reaction active site by Fe doping and the porous nanostructure of the catalyst, which greatly improves the catalytic activity. Specifically, at −0.9 V vs. RHE, the NH₃ yield rate (R_NH3) of Fe−CoS₂/CC is 17.8×10⁻² mmol h⁻¹ cm⁻² with Faraday Efficiency (FE) of 88.93 %. Besides, such catalyst shows good durability and catalytic stability, which provides the possibility for the future application of electrocatalytic NH₃ production.     

Dopant-Induced Electronic States Regulation Boosting Electroreduction of Dilute Nitrate to Ammonium

Electrochemically converting NO₃⁻ into NH₃ offers a promising route for water treatment. Nevertheless, electroreduction of dilute NO₃⁻ is still suffering from low activity and/or selectivity. Herein, B as a modifier was introduced to tune electronic states of Cu and further regulate the performance of electrochemical NO₃⁻ reduction reaction (NO₃RR) with dilute NO₃⁻ concentration (≤100 ppm NO₃⁻−N). Notably, a linear relationship was established by plotting NH₃ yield vs. the oxidation state of Cu, indicating that the increase of Cu⁺ content leads to an enhanced NO₃⁻-to-NH₃ conversion activity. Under a low NO₃⁻−N concentration of 100 ppm, the optimal Cu(B) catalyst displays a 100 % NO₃⁻-to-NH₃ conversion at −0.55 to −0.6 V vs. RHE, and a record-high NH₃ yield of 309 mmol h⁻¹ g_cat⁻¹, which is more than 25 times compared with the pristine Cu nanoparticles (12 mmol h⁻¹ g_cat⁻¹). This research provides an effective method for conversion of dilute NO₃⁻ to NH₃, which has certain guiding significance for the efficient and green conversion of wastewater in the future.     

Boosting Electrocatalytic Nitrate-to-Ammonia via Tuning of N-Intermediate Adsorption on a Zn−Cu Catalyst

The renewable-energy-powered electroreduction of nitrate (NO₃⁻) to ammonia (NH₃) has garnered significant interest as an eco-friendly and promising substitute for the Haber–Bosch process. However, the sluggish kinetics hinders its application at a large scale. Herein, we first calculated the N-containing species (*NO₃ and *NO₂) binding energy and the free energy of the hydrogen evolution reaction over Cu with different metal dopants, and it was shown that Zn was a promising candidate. Based on the theoretical study, we designed and synthesized Zn-doped Cu nanosheets, and the as-prepared catalysts demonstrated excellent performance in NO₃⁻-to-NH₃. The maximum Faradaic efficiency (FE) of NH₃ could reach 98.4 % with an outstanding yield rate of 5.8 mol g⁻¹ h⁻¹, which is among the best results up to date. The catalyst also had excellent cycling stability. Meanwhile, it also presented a FE exceeding 90 % across a wide potential range and NO₃⁻ concentration range. Detailed experimental and theoretical studies revealed that the Zn doping could modulate intermediates adsorption strength, enhance NO₂⁻ conversion, change the *NO adsorption configuration to a bridge adsorption, and decrease the energy barrier, leading to the excellent catalytic performance for NO₃⁻-to-NH₃.     

Electrical Pulse-Driven Periodic Self-Repair of Cu-Ni Tandem Catalyst for Efficient Ammonia Synthesis from Nitrate

Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction sustainably produces ammonia and alleviates water pollution, yet is still challenging due to the kinetic mismatch and hydrogen evolution competition. Cu/Cu₂O heterojunction is proven effective to break the rate-determining NO₃⁻-to-NO₂⁻ step for efficient NH₃ conversion, while it is unstable due to electrochemical reconstruction. Here we report a programmable pulsed electrolysis strategy to achieve reliable Cu/Cu₂O structure, where Cu is oxidized to CuO during oxidation pulse, then regenerating Cu/Cu₂O upon reduction. Alloying with Ni further modulates hydrogen adsorption, which transfers from Ni/Ni(OH)₂ to N-containing intermediates on Cu/Cu₂O, promoting NH₃ formation with a high NO₃⁻-to-NH₃ Faraday efficiency (88.0±1.6 %, pH 12) and NH₃ yield rate (583.6±2.4 μmol cm⁻² h⁻¹) under optimal pulsed conditions. This work provides new insights to in situ electrochemically regulate catalysts for NO₃⁻-to-NH₃ conversion.     

酸性金属氧化物对锰铈氧化物催化剂脱硝温度窗口的调控作用

利用溶胶-凝胶法,采用三种酸性金属氧化物（氧化铌、氧化钨和氧化钼）对锰铈复合氧化物催化剂进行了改性. 测试了催化剂的氮氧化物选择性催化还原（SCR）活性,以筛选对应不同温度窗口的合适酸性氧化物改性剂. 同时评价了催化剂的NO氧化和NH₃氧化活性. 利用X射线衍射、BET比表面积测试、H₂程序升温还原、NH₃/NO_x程序升温脱附和NH₃/NO_x吸附红外光谱等手段对催化剂进行了表征. MnO_x-CeO₂催化剂表现出良好的低温（100-150 ℃）活性. 酸性金属氧化物的添加削弱了催化剂的氧化还原特性,从而抑制了NH₃的活化和NO₂辅助的快速SCR反应. 与此同时,相对高温（250-350 ℃）区NH₃的氧化也受到了抑制,B酸和L酸上的NH₃吸附得以增强. 因此,催化剂的SCR脱硝温度窗口向高温移动,改性效果Nb₂O₅ < WO₃ < MoO₃.     

WO3改性CeO2-TiO2催化剂的低温NH3-NO/NO2 SCR活性和机理研究

在铈钛基NH3-SCR催化材料中,改性元素对催化材料的酸性位和氧化还原性能的影响较大.本文采用过量浸渍法分别制备了CeO2-TiO2(CeTi)和CeO2/WO3-TiO2(CeWTi)催化剂,研究了CeWTi催化材料结构、酸性位及氧化还原性能对NH3-NO/NO2 SCR反应性能的影响.结果发现,CeTi和CeWTi样品均有较优异的NH3-NO/NO2 SCR催化性能,后者略高.WO3的加入增加了催化材料的表面酸性,对其氧化还原性能影响不大.通过对反应中间物种NH4NO3的研究,发现NH4NO3的分解主要与氧化还原性能相关,而NO还原NH4NO3的反应需要氧化还原能力和酸性位共同作用,即在氧化还原性能差异不大的条件下,酸性对该反应起到重要作用.而该反应也是NH3-NO/NO2 SCR的限速步骤,这是CeWTi催化材料活性高于CeTi催化材料的原因.同时,为了获得NH3-NO/NO2 SCR反应的高活性,NO2:NO比例宜为1:1.然而现实情况中,预氧化催化材料的氧化活性、NOx浓度、温度等变量使得准确控制NO2的比例较难,因此,深入了解NO2浓度对NH3–NO/NO2 SCR反应的影响至关重要.本文探讨NO2:NO的比例、O2浓度等对NH3-NO/NO2 SCR反应性能的影响;并研究了不同NO2含量条件下NH3-NO/NO2 SCR反应网络.通过分析CeWTi材料上NH3-NO/NO2 SCR反应网络可知,当NO与NO2比例为1:1时,NH3-SCR催化活性最高,并以快速SCR形式进行;当NO与NO2比例为1:1消耗完全之后,剩余的NO或NO2各自独立以标准或慢速SCR进行,不影响其本来的反应活性.催化材料的标准SCR、快速SCR和慢速SCR均取决于材料表面酸度和氧化还原性能,但快速SCR和慢速SCR对材料这两方面性能的要求相对较低.同时O2并不参与快速和慢速SCR,而NO2可以取代O2作为SCR反应中主要的氧化剂,氧化Ce4+为Ce3+,甚至比O2和NO再氧化活性位的能力更强,保持催化材料的高催化活性.低温条件时,慢速SCR和快速SCR反应均在材料表面生成硝酸铵中间物种,但由于慢速SCR气氛中缺乏NO将硝酸铵还原,进而引发快速SCR反应,因此材料表面快速SCR的NOx转化率要高于慢速SCR反应;高温条件下,由于硝酸铵容易热分解,导致硝酸铵的抑制效应不太明显.NH4NO3分解是NO2含量升高后N2O的形成的主要途径.     

基于尿素电合成反应的电催化剂研究进展

尿素是一种重要的化工原料并作为氮源广泛应用于化肥生产。工业合成尿素由氮气加氢合成氨气以及氨气和二氧化碳转化为尿素两步实现,存在高能耗和高污染等问题。通过电催化碳氮偶联,将二氧化碳和氮源（氮气、硝酸根、亚硝酸根、一氧化氮等）转化为尿素,可直接跳过合成氨反应并在温和的反应条件下同时实现人工固氮和固碳。因此,尿素电合成技术不仅避免了高能耗和高污染,还能够实现惰性气体分子的高效利用,对于加快实现“碳达峰碳中和”战略有着重要的意义。本文聚焦尿素电合成这一前沿研究热点,结合领域内最新研究进展,首先介绍了不同电催化剂的设计策略及其催化机制,随后总结了电催化碳氮偶联合成尿素的反应机理,并对尿素电合成的后续研究方向进行了展望。     

Oxidation and Reduction Processes During NO x Removal with Corona-Induced Nonthermal Plasma

In this paper, the NO-to-NO ₂ conversion in various gaseous mixtures is experimentally investigated. Streamer coronas are produced with a dc-superimposed high-frequency ac power supply (10–60 kHz). According to NO _x removal experiments in N ₂ +NO _x and N ₂ +O ₂ +NO _x gaseous mixtures, it is supposed that the reverse reaction NO ₂ +ONO+O ₂ may not only limit NO ₂ production in N ₂ +NO _x mixtures, but also increase the energy cost for NO removal. Oxygen could significantly suppress reduction reactions and enhance oxidation processes. The reduction reactions, such as N+NON ₂ +O, induce negligible NO removal provided the O ₂ concentration is larger than 3.6%. With adding H ₂ O into the reactor, the produced NO ₂ per unit removed NO can be significantly reduced due to NO ₂ oxidation. NH ₃ injection could also significantly decrease the produced NO ₂ via NH and NH ₂ - related reduction reactions. Almost 100% of NO ₂ can be removed in gaseous mixtures of N ₂ +O ₂ +H ₂ O+NO ₂ with negligible NO production.     

Shielded Sliding Discharge-Assisted Hydrocarbon Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx over Ag/Al2O3 Catalysts Using Diesel as a Reductant

The nonthermal plasma generated in a shielded sliding discharge reactor was used to reform diesel for the hydrocarbon-selective catalytic reduction (HC-SCR) of NO_x on Ag/Al₂O₃ catalysts. Compared with raw diesel, the reformed diesel enhanced the NO_x reduction efficiency, mitigated hydrocarbon poisoning of the catalyst and reduced the fuel penalty for the HC-SCR reaction. The NO_x conversion values obtained with a commercial Ag/Al₂O₃ catalyst exceeded that of a 2.0 wt% Ag/Al₂O₃ catalyst prepared by wet impregnation. A significant amount of NH₃ was produced as a by-product during the HC-SCR reaction, which suggests that further NO_x conversion enhancement can be achieved by placing a second NH₃-SCR catalyst in series with the Ag/Al₂O₃ catalyst.     

Supramolecular Enhancement of Electrochemical Nitrate Reduction Catalyzed by Cobalt Porphyrin Organic Cages for Ammonia Electrosynthesis in Water**

The electrochemical nitrate (NO₃⁻) reduction reaction (NO₃RR) to ammonia (NH₃) represents a sustainable approach for denitrification to balance global nitrogen cycles and an alternative to traditional thermal Haber-Bosch processes. Here, we present a supramolecular strategy for promoting NH₃ production in water from NO₃RR by integrating two-dimensional (2D) molecular cobalt porphyrin ( CoTPP ) units into a three-dimensional (3D) porous organic cage architecture. The porphyrin box CoPB-C8 enhances electrochemical active site exposure, facilitates substrate–catalyst interactions, and improves catalyst stability, leading to turnover numbers and frequencies for NH₃ production exceeding 200,000 and 56 s⁻¹, respectively. These values represent a 15-fold increase in NO₃RR activity and 200-mV improvement in overpotential for the 3D CoPB-C8 box structure compared to its 2D CoTPP counterpart. Synthetic tuning of peripheral alkyl substituents highlights the importance of supramolecular porosity and cavity size on electrochemical NO₃RR activity. These findings establish the incorporation of 2D molecular units into 3D confined space microenvironments as an effective supramolecular design strategy for enhancing electrocatalysis.     

First-principles study on Fe2B2 as efficient catalyst for nitrogen reduction reaction

Ammonia (NH₃) is considered an attractive candidate as a clean, highly efficient energy carrier. The electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) can reduce energy input and carbon footprint; therefore, rational design of effective electrocatalysts is essential for achieving high-efficiency electrocatalytic NH₃ synthesis. Herein, we report that the enzymatic mechanism is the more favourable pathway for NRR, due to lower limiting potential (−0.44 V), lower free energy (only 0.02 eV) of the first hydrogenation step (*N–N to *NH–N), and more electron transfer from Fe₂B₂ to the reaction species. In addition, both vacancies and dopants can be helpful in reducing the reaction energy barrier of the potential-determining step. Therefore, we have demonstrated that Fe₂B₂ is a potential new candidate for effective NRR and highlighted its potential for applications in electrocatalytic NH₃ synthesis.     

N2-to-NH3 Conversion by a triphos–Iron Catalyst and Enhanced Turnover under Photolysis

Bridging iron hydrides are proposed to form at the active site of MoFe-nitrogenase during catalytic dinitrogen reduction to ammonia and may be key in the binding and activation of N₂ via reductive elimination of H₂. This possibility inspires the investigation of well-defined molecular iron hydrides as precursors for catalytic N₂-to-NH₃ conversion. Herein, we describe the synthesis and characterization of new P₂^P′PhFe(N₂)(H)_x systems that are active for catalytic N₂-to-NH₃ conversion. Most interestingly, we show that the yields of ammonia can be significantly increased if the catalysis is performed in the presence of mercury lamp irradiation. Evidence is provided to suggest that photo-elimination of H₂ is one means by which the enhanced activity may arise.     

Understanding the Synergy between Fe and Mo Sites in the Nitrate Reduction Reaction on a Bio-Inspired Bimetallic MXene Electrocatalyst

Mo- and Fe-containing enzymes catalyze the reduction of nitrate and nitrite ions in nature. Inspired by this activity, we study here the nitrate reduction reaction (NO₃RR) catalyzed by an Fe-substituted two-dimensional molybdenum carbide of the MXene family, viz., Mo₂CT_x : Fe (T_x are oxo, hydroxy and fluoro surface termination groups). Mo₂CT_x : Fe contains isolated Fe sites in Mo positions of the host MXene (Mo₂CT_x) and features a Faradaic efficiency (FE) and an NH₃ yield rate of 41 % and 3.2 μmol h⁻¹ mg⁻¹, respectively, for the reduction of NO₃⁻ to NH₄⁺ in acidic media and 70 % and 12.9 μmol h⁻¹ mg⁻¹ in neutral media. Regardless of the media, Mo₂CT_x : Fe outperforms monometallic Mo₂CT_x owing to a more facile reductive defunctionalization of T_x groups, as evidenced by in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy (Mo K-edge). After surface reduction, a T_x vacancy site binds a nitrate ion that subsequently fills the vacancy site with O* via oxygen transfer. Density function theory calculations provide further evidence that Fe sites promote the formation of surface O vacancies, which are identified as active sites and that function in NO₃RR in close analogy to the prevailing mechanism of the natural Mo-based nitrate reductase enzymes.     

Vacancy-enhanced Mo-N2 interaction in MoSe2 nanosheets enables efficient electrocatalytic NH3 synthesis

NH₃ plays an essential role in human life since it is an important raw material for fertilizers, plastics and rubbers production. As an NH₃ synthesis technology under ambient conditions, electrocatalytic N₂ reduction reaction (NRR) has great potential to replace the energy-intensive Haber-Bosch process. The key of electrocatalytic NRR is the exploration of efficient catalysts. Transition metal Mo is promising since it exists naturally in nitrogenase due to the unique Mo-N₂ interaction; particularly in the form of 2D material such as MoSe₂, the surface area is maximized for more active sites. However, the NRR performance of MoSe₂ is still unsatisfactory because Mo is only exposed at the semi-open edge, and the electronegative Se-mantled surface area remains inaccessible to N₂. Herein, we propose a simple and effective strategy to create high-concentration Se vacancies in MoSe₂ through heteroatom doping induced lattice strain, which effectively enhances the Mo-N₂ interaction on the surface area. In result, high NH₃ yield (3.04 × 10^–10 mol s^–1 cm^–2) and Faraday efficiency (21.61%) are attained at –0.45 V vs. RHE in 0.1 mol/L Na₂SO₄.     

Breaking Local Charge Symmetry of Iron Single Atoms for Efficient Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia

The electrochemical conversion of nitrate pollutants into value-added ammonia is a feasible way to achieve artificial nitrogen cycle. However, the development of electrocatalytic nitrate-to-ammonia reduction reaction (NO₃⁻RR) has been hampered by high overpotential and low Faradaic efficiency. Here we develop an iron single-atom catalyst coordinated with nitrogen and phosphorus on hollow carbon polyhedron (denoted as Fe−N/P−C) as a NO₃⁻RR electrocatalyst. Owing to the tuning effect of phosphorus atoms on breaking local charge symmetry of the single-Fe-atom catalyst, it facilitates the adsorption of nitrate ions and enrichment of some key reaction intermediates during the NO₃⁻RR process. The Fe−N/P−C catalyst exhibits 90.3 % ammonia Faradaic efficiency with a yield rate of 17980 μg h⁻¹ mg_cat⁻¹, greatly outperforming the reported Fe-based catalysts. Furthermore, operando SR-FTIR spectroscopy measurements reveal the reaction pathway based on key intermediates observed under different applied potentials and reaction durations. Density functional theory calculations demonstrate that the optimized free energy of NO₃⁻RR intermediates is ascribed to the asymmetric atomic interface configuration, which achieves the optimal electron density distribution. This work demonstrates the critical role of atomic-level precision modulation by heteroatom doping for the NO₃⁻RR, providing an effective strategy for improving the catalytic performance of single atom catalysts in different electrochemical reactions.