Trace CsOH Additive Promotes the Reduction of Nitrate to Ammonia
Xu Luo1,2, Jianying Wang1,2, Xiaozhi Xu1,2
1Fuel Cell System and Engineering Laboratory, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|February 22, 2026
Summary
Adding cesium hydroxide (CsOH) to electrolytes overcomes nitrate diffusion limits in electrocatalytic reduction. This enhances ammonia synthesis and enables efficient Zn-NO3 batteries for wastewater treatment and power generation.
Area of Science:
- Electrochemistry
- Environmental Science
- Materials Science
Background:
- Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction is key for wastewater treatment and ammonia synthesis.
- Nitrate diffusion to the cathode is hindered by electrostatic repulsion, limiting reaction efficiency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To mitigate diffusion limitations in nitrate reduction using electrolyte additives.
- To elucidate the mechanism of additive-enhanced nitrate reduction.
- To demonstrate a Zn-NO3 battery for simultaneous ammonia synthesis and power generation.
Main Methods:
- Electrochemical analysis of nitrate reduction.
- Introduction of trace cesium hydroxide (CsOH) as an electrolyte additive.
- Performance evaluation of a Zn-NO3 battery system.
Main Results:
- CsOH addition weakened electrostatic repulsion and enhanced ammonia selectivity.
- Achieved an ammonia production rate of 456.2 μmol cm⁻² h⁻¹ with 65.2% faradaic efficiency.
- Zn-NO3 battery with CsOH reached a peak power density of 30.16 mW cm⁻².
Conclusions:
- Trace CsOH effectively enhances electrocatalytic nitrate reduction by addressing diffusion limitations.
- The study presents a novel Zn-NO3 battery design for combined ammonia synthesis and energy production.
- Findings offer fundamental insights into additive effects for electrochemical nitrate conversion.
Keywords:
ammonia synthesiscesium additiveelectrocatalytic nitrate reductionelectrostatic shieldinghydrogen evolution suppressionzinc−nitrate batteryMore Related Videos
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