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Polynuclear Cobalt Cluster-Based Coordination Polymers for Efficient Nitrate-to-Ammonia Electroreduction
Miao Wang1, Shufan Li2, Yuming Gu1
1State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, MOE Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry, MOE Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer Materials and Technology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Materials, Tianchang New Materials and Energy Technology Research Center, Research Institute of Green Chemistry and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, P. R. China.
New cobalt-based coordination polymers, NJUZ-2 and NJUZ-3, efficiently convert nitrate to ammonia. These materials offer high selectivity and durability for wastewater treatment and ammonia synthesis.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Environmental Chemistry
Background:
- Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (NITRR) is crucial for wastewater purification and ammonia synthesis.
- Efficient electrocatalysts are needed for selective ammonia production via NITRR.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and synthesize novel polynuclear cobalt-cluster-based coordination polymers for NITRR.
- To investigate the electrocatalytic performance and mechanism of these materials for selective ammonia synthesis.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of two cobalt-cluster-based coordination polymers (NJUZ-2 and NJUZ-3).
- Electrocatalytic evaluation of NITRR in H-type and flow cells.
- Characterization using experimental analyses and theoretical computations.
Main Results:
- NJUZ-2 and NJUZ-3 exhibit high Faradaic efficiency (~98.5%) and durability for selective ammonia production at -0.8 V.
- Excellent performance is maintained under acidic conditions.
- Flow cell operation achieved a high NH3 yield rate (3370.6 mmol h-1 g-1cat.) at -0.5 V, significantly outperforming H-type cells.
Conclusions:
- The novel coordination polymers demonstrate remarkable catalytic activity and selectivity for NITRR.
- Enhanced performance is attributed to preferential nitrate adsorption and reduced intermediate hydrogenation energy.
- These materials show great potential for efficient wastewater treatment and ammonia production.
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