Nanoporous Copper-Palladium-Based Catalyst for Electrocatalytic Nitrate-to-Ammonia Conversion

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Catalysis

Background:

• Electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) offers sustainable ammonia production.
• Developing efficient catalysts for NO3RR is crucial for industrial applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel self-supported nanoporous bimetallic catalyst for enhanced NO3RR.
• To investigate the catalytic performance and mechanism of the Cu-Pd-based catalyst.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of nanoporous bimetallic Cu-Pd catalyst (np Cu-Pd@ZrCuAl) via dealloying and galvanic replacement.
• Electrocatalytic performance evaluation for NO3RR.
• Theoretical calculations to elucidate the reaction mechanism.

Main Results:

• The np Cu-Pd@ZrCuAl catalyst demonstrated excellent electrocatalytic performance for NO3RR.
• Achieved a high Faradaic efficiency of 95% and an ammonia yield rate of 21.46 mg h-1 cm-2.
• Pd introduction enhanced H2O dissociation and suppressed hydrogen evolution, optimizing ammonia production.

Conclusions:

• The Cu/Pd heterostructure optimizes electronic properties and reaction pathways for efficient ammonia generation.
• This study presents a valuable strategy for designing advanced electrocatalysts for NO3RR.
• The developed catalyst shows significant potential for sustainable nitrogen management and ammonia synthesis.