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Nitrate Electroreduction to Ammonia Over Copper-based Catalysts
Tailei Hou1, Tianshang Shan1, Hongpan Rong1,2
1Beijing Key Laboratory of Construction-Tailorable Advanced Functional Materials and Green Applications, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Materials Science & Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China.
Abstract:
The electrocatalytic reduction of nitrate (NO3 -) to ammonia (NH3) holds substantial promise, as it transforms NO3 - from polluted water into valuable NH3. However, the reaction is limited by sluggish kinetics and low NH3 selectivity. Cu-based catalysts with unique electronic structures demonstrate rapid NO3 - to NO2 - rate-determining step (RDS) and fast electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (eNO3RR) kinetics among non-noble metal catalysts. Nonetheless, achieving high robustness and selectivity for NH3 with Cu-based catalysts remains a significant challenge. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the reaction mechanisms in eNO3RR, highlights how the structures of monometallic and bimetallic Cu-based catalyst affect catalytic properties, and discusses the current challenges as well as prospects in eNO3RR.
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