Splicing the active phases of copper/cobalt-based catalysts achieves high-rate tandem electroreduction of nitrate to ammonia

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Physical Sciences › Chemical Engineering › Catalysis

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Paper Summary

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Mix-and-Match Metals Make Ammonia Magic: New Catalyst Recycles Nitrate Like a Boss!

This paper demonstrates a novel tandem catalyst system consisting of core-shell Cu/CuOx and Co/CoO phases for the efficient electroreduction of nitrate to ammonia. By exploiting the distinct potential-dependent activities of these phases, the catalyst achieves a high NH3 yield rate of 1.17 mmol cm−2 h−1 in 0.1 M NO3− at −0.175 V vs. RHE and a Faradaic efficiency of >93% at pH 13, surpassing most previous reports.

Possible Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

Identified Weaknesses

Limited mechanistic insights

The study primarily focuses on demonstrating a proof-of-concept for the tandem catalyst design, without a deep exploration of the underlying reaction mechanisms or detailed investigation of the individual catalytic contributions of each component. Further studies are needed to fully understand the roles of each phase and optimize the catalyst design for practical applications.

Lack of long-term stability tests

The stability of the CuCoSP catalyst over extended periods or under varying conditions, such as different pH values or nitrate concentrations, has not been investigated. Long-term stability is a critical factor for practical application of NO3RR catalysts, and further research is needed to assess the durability of the CuCoSP catalyst.

Limited investigation of higher nitrate concentrations

The study utilizes a relatively low concentration of nitrate (0.01 M) for the electrochemical tests, which might not reflect the practical scenarios where higher concentrations are often present. The performance of the CuCoSP catalyst at higher nitrate concentrations and the impact on product selectivity needs to be evaluated for real-world applicability.

Rating Explanation

This study presents a novel and effective tandem catalyst design for nitrate electroreduction to ammonia, demonstrating high Faradaic efficiency and yield rates. The electrochemically-driven phase separation method offers a facile approach to creating catalysts with synergistic active phases, enabling efficient cascade reactions. Although the study has some limitations regarding mechanistic insights and long-term stability, the innovative catalyst design and promising results warrant a high rating.

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Topic Hierarchy

Domain:

Physical Sciences

Field:

Chemical Engineering

Subfield:

Catalysis

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Splicing the active phases of copper/cobalt-based catalysts achieves high-rate tandem electroreduction of nitrate to ammonia

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