Some thoughts about the electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction

doi:10.1016/S1872-2067(23)64521-8

Chinese Journal of Catalysis ›› 2023, Vol. 53: 8-12.DOI: 10.1016/S1872-2067(23)64521-8

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Some thoughts about the electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction

Xianbiao Fu()

Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby 2800, Denmark

Received:2023-09-05 Accepted:2023-09-25 Online:2023-10-18 Published:2023-10-25
Contact: *E-mail: xiafu@dtu.dk (X. Fu).
About author:Xianbiao Fu (Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark) is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellow (2021). Dr. Fu received his B.A. degree from Central South University in 2016, and his Ph.D. degree from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China in 2021. During his Ph.D. studies, he was a visiting graduate student at Northwestern University (Chicago) for 2 years and at Johns Hopkins University for 1 year. Since 2021, he has worked with Prof. Ib Chorkendorff and Prof. Jens Kehlet Nørskov on electrochemical ammonia synthesis at the Technical University of Denmark. He was the Young Editorial Board Member of eScience, Nano Research, and Applied Research. He was appointed to the Materials Horizons community board. He has published more than 30 peer-reviewed papers. His research focuses on the transformation of Energy-to-Chemicals, such as electrochemical ammonia synthesis (N₂-to-NH₃), reduction of CO/CO₂ into fuels/chemicals, electrochemical organic synthesis, and electrocatalysis (ORR, HOR, OER, and HER), involving electrochemical reactor design and scale-up.

Abstract

Abstract:

The past five years have witnessed significant development of efficient electrocatalysts for nitrate reduction. Most of the reports focused on the Faraday efficiency of ammonia, current density, and ammonia production rates. However, some scientific and practical challenges are rarely discussed. This perspective summarized some bottlenecks and limitations, such as the sustainable nitrate supply, species balance of overall reaction, mass transfer limitation of nitrate, and stability of catalysts. The proposed challenges are opportunities for moving this field forward in the future.

Key words: Nitrate electroreduction, Electrochemical ammonia synthesis, Water purification, Mass transfer limitation, Stability

Xianbiao Fu. Some thoughts about the electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction[J]. Chinese Journal of Catalysis, 2023, 53: 8-12.

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Figures/Tables 5

Fig. 1. Three routes for electrochemical ammonia synthesis. (a) Lithium-mediated nitrogen reduction reaction. (b) Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction. (c) Electrocatalytic nitrogen oxides reduction reaction.

Fig. 2. Two main targets of the NtrRR. (a) Electrochemical ammonia synthesis. (b) Water purification.

Fig. 3. Three possible nitrate supply routes. (a) Industrial wastewater. (b) Plasma process. (c) Electrochemical oxidation of nitrogen.

Table 1 Cathodic and anodic reactions during the NtrRR process.

Condition	Cathodic reaction	Anodic reaction
Acidic	NO₃^- + 9H⁺ + 8e^- → NH₃ + 3H₂O	4H₂O → 2O₂ + 8H⁺ + 8e^-
Alkaline	NO₃^- + 6H₂O + 8e^- → NH₃ + 9OH^-	8OH^- → 2O₂ + 4H₂O + 8e^-

Fig. 4. The strategy of overcoming the mass transfer limitation. (a) The concentration of nitrate (reactant) is decreased with the NtrRR proceeding. (b) Schematic of overcoming the mass transfer limitation for reactions with gases as reactants.

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Some thoughts about the electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction

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