Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 9, 2026

Electrochemically and Bioelectrochemically Induced Ammonium Recovery
Published on: January 22, 2015
High-Yield Ammonia Production from Al-Nitrate Battery via Anodic Al&NO3 - Spontaneous Reaction Driven Cathodic
Li-Li Chen1, Wanqiang Yu1, Yijie Wang1
1Institute for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research (iAIR), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022, P. R. China.
None:
The electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (NIRR) offers a sustainable alternative for ammonia (NH3) synthesis, addressing the limitations of the energy-intensive Haber-Bosch process. This study introduces a novel aluminum-nitrate (Al-NO3 -) battery system that integrates anodic Al and NO3 - (Al&NO3 -) spontaneous reactions with cathodic NO3 - reduction, enabling simultaneous NH3 production and electricity generation. The CuNi alloy films, synthesized via pulse laser confined bombardment (PLCB) technology, serve as efficient NIRR cathodes with tandem catalytic sites, delivering an NH3 production rate of ≈58.04 mg h-1 cm-2 with a Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 99.40% at -1.3 V vs. Hg/HgO. The Al-NO3 - battery system, incorporating NO3 - in both anodic and cathodic electrolytes, suppresses hydrogen evolution at the anode, and achieves an apparent FE exceeding 100% due to NO3 - consumption for NH3 production through both cathodic NIRR and the spontaneous anodic Al&NO3 - reaction. Extended stability studies indicated continuous operation exceeding 50 h, with peak apparent FE reaching ≈183.60%. This system demonstrates a high NH3 yield of over 10.0 mg h-1 cm-2 at a current density of 40 mA cm-2. The findings highlight the potential of Al&NO3 - spontaneous reactions to drive cathodic NO3 - reduction, offering a sustainable pathway for NH3 synthesis from NO3 --rich wastewater while generating electrical energy.
Related Concept Videos
Nitriles to Amines: LiAlH4 Reduction
As shown below, the mechanism involves three steps. Firstly, the hydride ion acting as a nucleophile attacks the nitrile carbon to form an anion. In the second step, a second equivalent of the hydride ion attacks the anion to...
1° Amines to Diazonium or Aryldiazonium Salts: Diazotization with NaNO2 Overview
The nitrous acid is unstable. Hence, it is formed in situ from a solution of sodium nitrite and cold aqueous acids such as hydrochloric or sulfuric acid. In an acidic solution, the –OH group of nitrous acid undergoes protonation to give oxonium ion, followed by...
2° Amines to N-Nitrosamines: Reaction with NaNO2
1° Amines to Diazonium or Aryldiazonium Salts: Diazotization with NaNO2 Mechanism
Preparation of Amines: Alkylation of Ammonia and Amines
Each alkylation step makes the nitrogen center more nucleophilic, which triggers successive alkylations until a quaternary ammonium salt is formed. Considering...
Preparation of Amines: Reductive Amination of Aldehydes and Ketones

