Comprehensive understanding of the thriving electrocatalytic nitrate/nitrite reduction to ammonia under ambient conditions

Ammonia(NH_(3))is a multifunctional compound that is an important feedstock for the agricultural and pharmaceutical industries and attractive energy storage medium.At present,NH_(3)synthesis is highly dependent on the conventional Haber–Bosch process that operates under harsh conditions,which consumes large quantities of fossil fuels and releases a large amount of carbon dioxide.As an alternative,electrosynthesis is a prospective method for producing NH_(3)under normal temperature and pressure conditions.Although electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction to ammonia has attracted considerable attentions,the low solubility of N_(2)and high N≡N cracking energy render the achievements of high NH_(3) yield rate and Faradaic efficiency difficult.Nitrate and nitrite(NO_(x)^(-))are common N-containing pollutants.Due to their high solubilities and low dissociation energy of N=O,NO_(x)^(-)−are ideal raw materials for NH_(3) production.Therefore,electrocatalytic NO_(x)^(-)−reduction to NH_(3)(eNO_(x)RR)is a prospective strategy to simultaneously realise environmental protection and NH_(3) synthesis.This review offers a comprehensive understanding of the thriving eNO_(x)RR under ambient conditions.At first,the popular theory and mechanism of eNO_(x)RR and a summary of the measurement system and evaluation criteria are introduced.Thereafter,various strategies for developing NO_(x)−reduction catalysts are systematically presented and discussed.Finally,the challenges and possible prospects of electrocatalytic NO_(x)^(-1) reduction are outlined to facilitate energy-saving and environmentally friendly large-scale synthesis of NH_(3) in the future.

Oxygen-coordinated low-nucleus cluster catalysts for enhanced electrocatalytic water oxidation

The oxygen evolution reaction(OER)activity of single-atom catalysts(SACs)is closely related to the coordination environment of the active site.Oxygencoordinated atomic metal species bring about unique features beyond nitrogen-coordinated atomic metal species due to the fact that the M-O bond is weaker than the M-N bond.Herein,a series of metal-oxygen-carbon structured low-nucleus clusters(LNCs)are successfully anchored on the surface of multiwalled carbon nanotubes(M-MWCNTs,M=Ni,Co,or Fe)through a foolproof low-temperature gas transfer(300℃)method without any further treatment.The morphology and coordination configuration of the LNCs at the atomic level were confirmed by comprehensive characterizations.The synthetic Ni-MWCNTs electrocatalyst features excellent OER activity and stability under alkaline conditions,transcending the performances of Co-MWCNTs,Fe-MWCNTs and RuO_(2).Density functional theory calculations reveal that the moderate oxidation of low-nucleus Ni clusters changes the unoccupied orbital of Ni atoms,thereby lowering the energy barrier of the OER rate-limiting step and making the OER process more energy-efficient.This study demonstrates a novel versatile platform for large-scale manufacturing of oxygen-coordinated LNC catalysts.

Fabrication of highly dispersed carbon doped Cu-based oxides as superior selective catalytic oxidation of ammonia catalysts via employing citric acid-modified carbon nanotubes doping CuAl-LDHs

In this work,the CuAl-LDO/c-CNTs catalyst was fabricated via in situ oriented assembly of layered-double hydroxides(LDHs)and citric acid-modified carbon nanotubes(c-CNTs)followed by annealing treatment,and evaluated in the selective catalytic oxidation(SCO)of NH_(3)to N_(2).The CuAl-LDO/c-CNTs catalyst presented better catalytic performance(98%NH_(3)conversion with nearly 90%N_(2)selectivity at 513 K)than other catalysts,such as CuAlO_(x)/CNTs,CuAlO_(x)/c-CNTs and CuAl-LDO/CNTs.Multiple characterizations were utilized to analyze the difference of physicochemical properties among four catalysts.XRD,TEM and XPS analyses manifested that CuO and Cu_(2)O nanoparticles dispersed well on the surface of the Cu Al-LDO/c-CNTs catalyst.Compared with other catalysts,larger specific surface area and better dispersion of CuAl-LDO/c-CNTs catalyst were conducive to the exposure of more active sites,thus improving the redox capacity of the active site and NH_(3)adsorption capacity.In-situ DRIFTS results revealed that the internal selective catalytic reduction(iSCR)mechanism was found over CuAl-LDO/c-CNTs catalyst.

Electrocatalytic coupling of anodic nitrogen oxidation and cathodic nitrate reduction for ammonia synthesis from air and water

Ammonia plays a vital role in present agriculture and industry,and is also regarded as a next-generation clean energy carrier.The development of electrocatalysis raises an opportunity to make ammonia synthesis compatible with intermittent and variable renewable energy sources such as solar and wind energy.However,the direct ammonia electrosynthesis from N_(2)reduction is still challenging due to the much easier hydrogen evolution competition reaction.In this perspective,we propose a novel strategy for ammonia electrosynthesis from air and water based on the coupling of anodic nitrogen oxidation and cathodic nitrate reduction.Possible methods for breaking the bottlenecks of anodic nitrogen oxidation and cathodic nitrate reduction are discussed separately.After that,key issues that need to be considered in the coupled system are proposed for the application of this strategy.

Intercalation assisted liquid phase production of disulfide zirconium nanosheets for efficient electrocatalytic dinitrogen reduction to ammonia

Disulfide zirconium(ZrS_(2)) is a two-dimensional(2D) transition metal disulfide and has given rise to extensive attention because of its distinctive electronic structure and properties.However,mass production of high quality of ZrS_(2)nanosheets to realize their practical application remains a challenge.Here,we have successfully exfoliated the bulk ZrS_(2)powder with the thickness of micron into single and few-layer nanosheets through liquid-phase exfoliation in N-methylpyrrolidone(NMP) assisted via aliphatic amines as intercalators.It is found that the exfoliation yield is as high as 27.3%,which is the record value for the exfoliation of ZrS_(2)nanosheets from bulk ZrS_(2)powder,and 77.1% of ZrS_(2)nanosheets are 2-3 layers.The molecular geometric size and aliphatic amine basicity have important impact on the exfoliation.Furthermore,the ZrS_(2)nanosheets have been used as catalyst in the electrocatalytic dinitrogen reduction with the NH3yield of 57.75 μg h^(-1)mg_(cat.)^(-1),which is twice that by ZrS_(2)nanofibers reported in literature and three times that by the bulk ZrS_(2)powder.Therefore,the liquid phase exfoliation strategy reported here has great potential in mass production of ZrS_(2)nanosheets for high activity electrocatalysis.

An Experimental Observation of the Thermal Effects and NO Emissions during Dissociation and Oxidation of Ammonia in the Presence of a Bundle of Thermocouples in a Vertical Flow Reactor

Ammonia (NH3) dissociation and oxidation in a cylindrical quartz reactor has been experimentally studied for various inlet NH3 concentrations (5%, 10%, and 15%) and reactor temperatures between 700 K and 1000 K. The thermal effects during both NH3 dissociation (endothermic) and oxidation (exothermic) were observed using a bundle of thermocouples positioned along the central axis of the quartz reactor, while the corresponding NH3 conversions and nitrogen oxides emissions were determined by analysing the gas composition of the reactor exit stream. A stronger endothermic effect, as indicated by a greater temperature drop during NH3 dissociation, was observed as the NH3 feed concentration and reactor temperature increased. During NH3 oxidation, a predominantly greater exothermic effect with increasing NH3 feed concentration and reactor temperature was also evident;however, it was apparent that NH3 dissociation occurred near the reactor inlet, preceding the downstream NH3 and H2 oxidation. For both NH3 dissociation and oxidation, NH3 conversion increased with increasing temperature and decreasing initial NH3 concentration. Significant levels of NOX emissions were observed during NH3 oxidation, which increased with increasing temperature. From the experimental results, it is speculated that the stainless-steel in the thermocouple bundle may have catalysed NH3 dissociation and thus changed the reaction chemistry during NH3 oxidation.

A theoretical study of electrocatalytic ammonia synthesis on single metal atom/MXene

Electrocatalytic ammonia synthesis under mild conditions is an attractive and challenging process in the earth’s nitrogen cycle,which requires efficient and stable catalysts to reduce the overpotential.The N2 activation and reduction overpotential of different Ti3C2O2-supported transition metal(TM)(Sc,Ti,V,Cr,Mn,Fe,Co,Ni,Cu,Zn,Mo,Ru,Rh,Pd,Ag,Cd,and Au)single-atom catalysts have been analyzed in terms of the Gibbs free energies calculated using the density functional theory(DFT).The end-on N2 adsorption was more energetically favorable,and the negative free energies represented good N2 activation performance,especially in the presence Fe/Ti3C2O2(﹣0.75 eV).The overpotentials of Fe/Ti3C2O2,Co/Ti3C2O2,Ru/Ti3C2O2,and Rh/Ti3C2O2 were 0.92,0.89,1.16,and 0.84 eV,respectively.The potential required for ammonia synthesis was different for different TMs and ranged from 0.68 to 2.33 eV.Two possible potential-limiting steps may be involved in the process:(i)hydrogenation of N2 to*NNH and(ii)hydrogenation of*NH2 to ammonia.These catalysts can change the reaction pathway and avoid the traditional N–N bond-breaking barrier.It also simplifies the understanding of the relationship between the Gibbs free energy and overpotential,which is a significant factor in the rational designing and large-scale screening of catalysts for the electrocatalytic ammonia synthesis.

Promoter Effects of Rare Earth Ions on Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Methanol

The promoter effects of rare earth ions on the electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol at the Pt electrode were studied using the cyclic voltammetry and stable polarization techniques. It was found for the first time that Eu、Ho、Dy ions could accelerate the electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol at the Pt electrode, while Lu、Pr、Yb、Sm ions showed inhibitor effects.

Magnetic field assisted electrocatalytic oxidation of organic pollutants in electroplating wastewater

To degrade the organic compounds in the electroplating wastewater,magnetic field was tentatively introduced into electrocatalytic oxidation on Ti-PbO2 anode.The magnetic field assisted electrocatalytic oxidation can promote anion movement and the generation of active species,resulting more organic compounds to be oxidized and degraded.Oxidation parameters such as treatment time,current density and initial pH of the wastewater were systematically discussed and optimized.The mineralization of organic compounds is improved by over 15% under a magnetic density of 22 mT while the current density is 50 A/m2,pH is 1.8 and the reaction time is 1.5 h.The results indicate that the magnetic field assisted electrocatalytic oxidation has considerable potential in electroplating wastewater treatment.

Computational screening of O‐functional MXenes for electrocatalytic ammonia synthesis

The nitrogen reduction reaction(NRR)using new and efficient electrocatalysts is a promising al‐ternative to the traditional Haber‐Bosch process.Nevertheless,it remains a challenge to design efficient catalysts with improved catalytic performance.Herein,various O‐functional MXenes were investigated as NRR catalysts by a combination of density functional theory calculations and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO)regression.Nb_(3)C_(2)O_(X) has been regarded as a promising catalyst for the NRR because of its stability,activity,and selectivity.The poten‐tial‐determining step is*NH_(2) hydrogenation to*NH3 with a limiting potential of-0.45 V.Further‐more,via LASSO regression,the descriptors and equations fitting the relationship between the properties of O‐functional MXenes and NRR activity have been proposed.This work not only pro‐vides a rational design strategy for catalysts but also provides machine learning data for further investigation.

Electrocatalytic Activity of Pt/C Electrodes for Ethanol Oxidation in Vapor Phase

High performance platinized-carbon electrodes have been developed for the electrocatalytic oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehyde in electrogenerative processes. A load current density of the electrode can be achieved as high as 600 mA per square centimeter for oxygen reducing in 3 mol/L sulfuric acid with a good stability. With these electrodes and sulfuric acid as an electrolyte in fuel cells, ethanol vapor carried by nitrogen gas can be oxidized selectively to acetaldehyde. Selectivity of acetaldehyde depends on the potential of the cell and the feed rate of ethanol vapor and it can be more than 80% under optimized conditions. The initial product of ethanol oxidized on a platinized-carbon electrode is acetaldehyde and the ethanol oxidation mechanism is discussed.

Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Ethanol on Electrodcposited Palladium Electrode

The oxidation of ethanol in 1 .0 mol/L NaOH was studied on Pd/GC electrode preparedby electrodeposition. The results show that (1) Pd/GC electrode can also demonstrateclectrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of cthanolf (2) two backward anodic peaks on thecathodic branch appear when the ethanol concentration is raised up to 0.5 mol/L.

Effect of Rotation Rate on the Formation of Platinum-modified Polyaniline Film and Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Methanol

The oxidation of methanol was investigated on platinum-modified polyaniline electrode. Changes in the electrode rotation rates (Ω) during platinum electrodeposition remarkably affect the formation and distribution of platinum in the polymer matrix and consequently lead to different currents of methanol oxidation. The results show that platinum loading is proportional to rotation ratesΩ1/2.

Green bio-synthesis of Ni/montmorillonite nanocomposite using extract of Allium jesdianum as the nano-catalyst for electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol

In this work,synthesis of Ni nanoparticles was carried out successfully by water extract of Allium jesdianum as a biochemical reducing agent in the presence of montmorillonite clay(MMT)as a natural solid support for the first time.Then the electrochemical activity of the synthesized nanocomposite was investigated in methanol electrocatalytic oxidation.MMT with high cation exchange capacity and nano layer structure was exposed to ion exchange conditions in nickel solution.Then Ni^2+ion exchanged form was used in this process as a source of ions and also capping agent.Water extract of Allium jesdianum used as a reducing agent due to abundant availability of phenolic and flavonoid contents.The synthesized Ni/MMT nanocomposite was characterized using UV–Vis spectroscopy(UV–Vis),Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy(FT-IR),X-ray diffraction(XRD),Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM),Transmission electron microscopy(TEM)and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDX).The surface of prepared modified electrode has been characterized using SEM to evaluate the morphology,showing uniform dispersion of Ni nanoparticles with mean diameter of 12 to 20 nm.The modified carbon paste electrode was then used in methanol electrocatalytic oxidation reaction.Methanol oxidation on the proposed modified electrode surface occurs at 0.6 V and 0.3 V in alkaline and acidic medium respectively.Also,the results showed the better performance of modified electrode toward methanol electrocatalytic oxidation in comparison with carbon paste electrode that is modified by ion exchanged MMT.Charge transfer coefficients and apparent charge transfer rate constant for the modified electrode in the absence of methanol in alkaline medium were respectively found as:αa=0.53,αc=0.37 and ks=1.6×10^-1 s^-1.Also,the average value of catalytic rate constant for the electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol by the prepared nano-catalyst was estimated to be about 0.9 L·mol^-1·s^-1 by chronoamperometry technique.The prepared electrode was also effective for electrocatalytic oxidation of ethanol and formaldehyde in alkaline medium.

Electrocatalytic oxidation behavior of L-cysteine at Pt microparticles modified nanofibrous polyaniline film electrode

Platinum(Pt)/nanofibrous polyaniline(PANI) electrode was prepared by pulse galvanostatic method and characterized by scanning electron microscopy.The electrochemical behavior of L-cysteine at the Pt/nanofibrous PANI electrode was investigated by cyclic voltammetry.The results indicate that the pH value of the solution and the Pt loading of the electrode have great effect on the electrocatalytic property of the Pt /nanofibrous PANI electrode;the suitable Pt loading of the electrode is 600 μg/cm2 and the suitable pH value of the solution is 4.5 for investigating L-cysteine oxidation.The L-cysteine sensor based on the Pt/nanofibrous PANI electrode has a good selectivity,reproducibility and stability.The Pt/nanofibrous PANI electrode is highly sensitive to L-cysteine,and the linear calibration curve for the oxidation of L-cysteine can be observed in the range of 0.2-5.0 mmol/L.

Encapsulation of a nickel Salen complex in nanozeolite LTA as a carbon paste electrode modifier for electrocatalytic oxidation of hydrazine

A nickel salen complex was encapsulated in the supercages of nanozeolite NaA,LTA(linde type A)structure,using the flexible ligand method.The electrochemical behavior and electrocatalytic activity of a carbon paste electrode(CPE)modified with Ni(II)‐Salen‐A(Ni(II)‐SalenA/CPE)for hydrazine oxidation in0.1mol/L NaOH solution were investigated by cyclic voltammetry,chronoamperometry,and chronocoulometry.First,organic‐template‐free synthesis of nanozeolite LTA was performed and the obtained material was characterized by various techniques.The average particle size of the LTA crystals was estimated to be56.1and72nm by X‐ray diffraction and particle size analysis,respectively.The electron transfer coefficient was found to be0.64and the catalytic rate constant for oxidation of hydrazine at the redox sites of Ni(II)‐SalenA/CPE was found to be1.03×105cm3/(mol·s).Investigation of the electrocatalytic mechanism suggested that oxidation of hydrazine occurred through reaction with Ni3+(Salen)O(OH)and also direct electrooxidation.The anodic peak currents revealed a linear dependence on the square root of the scan rate,indicating a diffusion‐controlled process,and the diffusion coefficient of hydrazine was found to be1.18×10?7cm2/s.The results indicated that Ni(II)‐SalenA/CPE displays good electrocatalytic activity toward hydrazine oxidation owing to the porous structure of nanozeolite LTA and the Ni(II)‐Salen complex.Finally,the general reaction mechanism for the electrooxidation of hydrazine on Ni(II)‐SalenA/CPE in alkaline solution involves the transfer of four electrons,in which the first electron transfer reaction acts as the rate‐limiting step followed by a three‐electron process to generate environmentally friendly nitrogen and water as final products.

Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Methanol on Glassy Carbon Electrode Modified by Metal Ions (Copper and Nickel) Dispersed into Polyaniline Film

Polyaniline film was prepared by using the repeated potential cycling technique in an acidic solution at the surface of glassy carbon electrode. Then transition metal ions of Ni and Cu were incorporated to the polymer by immersion of the modified electrode. A comparative study of the electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol is made in NaOH, on Ni and Cu on polyaniline film covered glassy carbon electrode (Ni-PANI-GC, Cu-PANI-GC) at 25℃. Catalytic activity for the oxidation of methanol was studied by using cyclic voltammetry.

Phenol Wastewater Degradation by Electrocatalytic Oxidation with RuO_2-IrO_2-SnO_2/Ti Anodes in the High Gravity Field

A novel high gravity multi-concentric cylinder electrodes-rotating bed(MCCE-RB) was developed for the electrocatalytic degradation of phenol wastewater in order to enhance the mass transfer with the self-made RuO_2-IrO_2-SnO_2/Ti anodes. The influences of electric current density, inlet liquid circulation flowrate, high gravity factor, sodium chloride concentration,and initial pH value on phenol degradation efficiency were investigated, with the optimal operating conditions determined. The results showed that under the optimal operating conditions covering a current density of 35 mA/cm^2, an inlet liquid circulation flowrate of 48 L/h, a high gravity factor of 20, a sodium chloride concentration of 8.5 g/L, an initial pH value of 6.5, a reaction time of 100 min, and an initial phenol concentration of 500 mg/L, the efficiency for removal of phenol reached 99.7%, which was improved by 10.4% as compared to that achieved in the normal gravity field. The tendency regarding the change in efficiency for removal of phenol, total organic carbon(TOC), and chemical oxygen demand(COD)over time was studied. The intermediates and degradation pathway of phenol were deduced by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC).

Electrochemical oxidation of ammonia-containing wastewater using Ti/RuO_2-Pt electrode

The electrochemical oxidation degradation processes for artificial and actual wastewater containing ammonia were carried out with a Ti/RuO2-Pt anode and a Ti plate cathode. We studied the effects of different current densities, space sizes between the two electrodes, and amounts of added NaCl on ammonia-containing wastewater treatm.ent. It was shown that, after a 30-min treatment under the optimal conditions, which were a current density of 20 mA/cm2, a space size between the two electrodes of I cm, and an added amount of 0.5 g/L of NaC1, the COD concentration in municipal wastewater was 40 mg/L, a removal rate of 90%; and the NH3-N concentration was 7 mg/L, a removal rate of 88.3%. The effluent of municipal wastewater qualified for Class A of the Discharge Standard of Pollutants for Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant （GB 18918-2002）.

Enhanced performance in the direct electrocatalytic synthesis of ammonia from N2 and H2O by an in-situ electrochemical activation of CNT-supported iron oxide nanoparticles

The direct electrocatalytic synthesis of ammonia from N2 and H2O by using renewable energy sources and ambient pressure/temperature operations is a breakthrough technology,which can reduce by over 90%the greenhouse gas emissions of this chemical and energy storage process.We report here an in-situ electrochemical activation method to prepare Fe2O3-CNT(iron oxide on carbon nanotubes)electrocatalysts for the direct ammonia synthesis from N2 and H2O.The in-situ electrochemical activation leads to a large increase of the ammonia formation rate and Faradaic efficiency which reach the surprising high values of 41.6μg mgcat^−1 h^−1 and 17%,respectively,for an in-situ activation of 3 h,among the highest values reported so far for non-precious metal catalysts that use a continuous-flow polymer-electrolytemembrane cell and gas-phase operations for the ammonia synthesis hemicell.The electrocatalyst was stable at least 12 h at the working conditions.Tests by switching N2 to Ar evidence that ammonia was formed from the gas-phase nitrogen.The analysis of the changes of reactivity and of the electrocatalyst characteristics as a function of the time of activation indicates a linear relationship between the ammonia formation rate and a specific XPS(X-ray-photoelectron spectroscopy)oxygen signal related to O2−in iron-oxide species.This results together with characterization data by TEM and XRD suggest that the iron species active in the direct and selective synthesis of ammonia is a maghemite-type iron oxide,and this transformation from the initial hematite is responsible for the in-situ enhancement of 3-4 times of the TOF(turnover frequency)and NH3 Faradaic efficiency.This transformation is likely related to the stabilization of the maghemite species at CNT defect sites,although for longer times of preactivation a sintering occurs with a loss of performances.