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Updated: May 6, 2026

Electrochemically and Bioelectrochemically Induced Ammonium Recovery
Published on: January 22, 2015
Steering Intermediate Coupling by Alkali-Metal Cations for Efficient Nitrate Electroreduction to Ammonia
Xiaowen Liu1,2, Baoguang Mao1, Yuanqing Shen1
1State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing Key Laboratory of Intelligent Design and Manufacturing for Hydrogen Energy Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China.
Abstract:
The electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (eNO3 -RR) provides a sustainable pathway for ammonia synthesis and nitrate wastewater remediation, yet its efficiency is fundamentally limited by the sluggish kinetics of the multistep conversion process. Herein, we elucidate how alkali-metal cations regulate the interfacial microenvironment to boost the ammonia production performance of eNO3 -RR. Using winged carbon coaxial nanocables as model catalysts, among the alkali-metal cations investigated, Cs+ enhances the local electric field that strengthens the adsorption of *NOx intermediates, whereas Li+ more effectively promotes the interfacial water reorganization to facilitate adsorbed hydrogen atom (*H) formation. Crucially, Na+ achieves the most favorable balance between these two complementary processes, thereby enabling efficient coupling between *NOx intermediates and *H throughout the nitrate reduction pathway. This balanced interplay delivers an NH3 yield rate of 94.9 g h-1 gcat. -1 in a Na+-mediated neutral electrolyte. The strategy exhibits broad applicability across diverse electrolytes and catalyst systems, offering a general design principle for steering complex hydrogenation-related catalytic transformations via rational electrolyte engineering.
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