This reporter learned from Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen) on September 8 that the group of Professor He Sisi and Associate Professor Zhou Jia of the School of Science of the university made a breakthrough in the field of nitrate electrocatalytic conversion, designing a highly efficient electrocatalyst that utilizes and efficiently converts nitrate into ammonia in wastewater, which provides a new way for wastewater treatment and low-carbon energy production. The related research results were recently published in Nature Communications.
Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction to ammonia (hereinafter referred to as NRA) is considered to be a low-cost and sustainable way of obtaining ammonia energy, which is capable of converting nitrate from industrial wastewater into ammonia, a clean energy source.
In this study, the researchers proposed a gradient concentration structure-driven design to accelerate the reaction of nitrate electroreduction for ammonia production from low nitrate concentration, and tested the gradient-structured NRA electrocatalysts with more than 93% Faraday efficiency for ammonia production and industrial-grade ammonia current density of 1.0 amperes per square centimeter at low nitrate concentration of a typical industrial wastewater (2,000 ppm), while operating stably for for up to 720 hours.
Meanwhile, the researchers also combined in situ spectroscopic characterization and theoretical calculations to reveal the NRA reaction mechanism of the catalyst. The membrane electrode device assembled by this reaction mechanism can work stably at high current density for more than 100 hours, confirming that this NRA catalyst has industrial potential.
It is reported that this research is of great significance to promote industrial wastewater treatment and electrocatalytic green ammonia preparation, and then realize the green low-carbon energy strategy.
nitrate,nitrate salt,sulfate-free,HNO₃，Ionic compounds.