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Boosting nitrate-to-ammonia conversion over a self-supported Cu NWs@Co3O4 electrocatalyst via promoted hydrogenation
Zhen-Xu Gai1, Yujiji Wang1, Haoyu Wu1
1School of Chemical Engineering, Ocean and Life Sciences, Leicester International Institute, School of General Education, Dalian University of Technology, 2 Dagong Road, Liaodongwan New District, Panjin, Liaoning 124221, China. songxz@dlut.edu.cn.
A novel catalyst made of copper nanowires and cobalt oxide drives nitrate-to-ammonia conversion. This efficient process achieves high ammonia yield and selectivity for sustainable chemical synthesis.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Catalysis
Background:
- Nitrate (NO3-) contamination is a growing environmental concern.
- Efficient conversion of nitrate to ammonia (NH3) is crucial for sustainable nitrogen management and chemical production.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel self-supported catalyst for cascade nitrate-to-ammonia conversion.
- To investigate the catalytic performance and mechanism of the Cu NWs@Co3O4 system.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a self-supported catalyst comprising copper nanowires (Cu NWs) and cobalt oxide (Co3O4).
- Electrochemical evaluation of the catalyst for nitrate reduction reaction (NRR).
- Analysis of ammonia yield and Faradaic efficiency.
Main Results:
- The Cu NWs@Co3O4 catalyst demonstrated efficient cascade NO3- to NH3 conversion.
- Copper nanowires facilitated the initial reduction of nitrate to nitrite (NO2-).
- Cobalt oxide components enhanced the hydrogenation kinetics, leading to high ammonia yield (85.0 ± 2.3 mg h-1 cm-2) and Faradaic efficiency (92.1 ± 1.0%).
Conclusions:
- The developed Cu NWs@Co3O4 catalyst is highly effective for nitrate-to-ammonia conversion.
- The synergistic effect between Cu NWs and Co3O4 contributes to the enhanced catalytic performance.
- This catalyst offers a promising pathway for sustainable ammonia synthesis and environmental remediation.
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