Boosting Electrocatalytic Ammonia Synthesis from Nitrate with a Dual Active Site Three-Dimensional Copper Electrode

Unbridled anthropogenic activities severely disrupt natural nitrogen cycles, leading to significant environmental and energy-related issues, including the eutrophication of water and high levels of energy consumption in industrial nitrogen fixation. A feasible and promising approach toward attaining sustainable zero-carbon nitrogen cycles is the utilization of clean electrical energy to convert nitrate pollutants in water bodies into high-value nitrogen products. In this study, metal (Ru/Co/Ni)-doped Cu electrodes were synthesized for the electrocatalytic synthesis of NH4+ at room temperature. The Ru-Cu CF electrode demonstrated exceptional performance, achieving a nitrate removal rate of 99.9% (2000 mg<middle dot>L-1 NO3--N) and a NH4+-N selectivity of 91.2%. Furthermore, the feasibility of practical application was verified using electroplating wastewater, where it was found that the Ru-Cu CF electrode not only effectively converted NO3- to NH4NO3, but also successfully recovered Cu2+ from the wastewater. This discovery has the potential to optimize laborious and environmentally damaging industrial synthetic processes into efficient green alternatives, thereby providing important theoretical guidance and practical value for the development of green and clean ammonia synthesis processes.