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Protein Film Infrared Electrochemistry Demonstrated for Study of H2 Oxidation by a [NiFe] Hydrogenase
Published on: December 4, 2017
H* Species Regulation by Mn-Co(OH)2 for Efficient Nitrate Electro-reduction in Neutral Solution
Shaozhen Liang1, Xue Teng1, Heng Xu1
1Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Processes, State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Molecular & Process Engineering, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, P. R. China.
A novel Mn-doped Co(OH)2 electrocatalyst efficiently converts nitrate to ammonia in neutral conditions. This catalyst shows high efficiency and stability, suppressing unwanted hydrogen evolution reactions.
Area of Science:
- Electrocatalysis
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
Background:
- Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction (NO3- RR) in neutral media is crucial for ammonia synthesis.
- Challenges include water activation and suppressing the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).
- Controlling intermediate hydrogen species (H*) binding is key.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an efficient electrocatalyst for NO3- RR in neutral conditions.
- To suppress HER by controlling H* binding.
- To achieve high ammonia yield and energy efficiency.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of Mn-doped Co(OH)2 (Mn-Co(OH)2) via in situ reconstruction.
- Electrocatalytic testing of Mn-Co(OH)2 for NO3- RR in neutral electrolyte.
- Characterization of catalyst performance, including Faradaic efficiency (FE) and energy efficiency (EE).
Main Results:
- Mn-Co(OH)2 effectively dissociates water and inhibits H* binding due to increased interatomic spacing.
- Achieved a high FE of 98.9±1.7% and EE of 49.90±1.03% for NH3 production via NO3- RR.
- Demonstrated exceptional stability with negligible degradation over 500 hours at -200 mA cm-2.
Conclusions:
- Mn-doped Co(OH)2 is a highly efficient and stable electrocatalyst for nitrate reduction to ammonia.
- The catalyst design strategy effectively suppresses HER and enhances ammonia selectivity.
- This work offers a new approach for designing advanced electrocatalysts for sustainable chemical synthesis.
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