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Abstract:
The electrochemical reduction of nitrate (NO3−) to ammonia (NH3) (NO3RR) represents an environmentally sustainable strategy for NH3 production while concurrently addressing water pollution challenges. Nevertheless, the intrinsic complexity of this multi-step reaction severely constrains both the selectivity and efficiency of NO3RR. Copper-based electrocatalysts have been extensively investigated for NO3RR but often suffer from nitrite (NO2−) accumulation, which stems from insufficient NO3− adsorption strength. This limitation often leads to rapid catalyst deactivation, hindered hydrogenation pathways, and reduced overall efficiency. Herein, we report a one-step green chemical reduction method to synthesize PtCuSnCo quarternary alloy nanoparticles with homogeneously distributed elements. Under practical NO3− concentrations, the optimized catalyst exhibited an impressive Faradaic efficiency approaching 100% and an outstanding selectivity of 95.6 ± 2.9%. Mechanistic insights uncovered that SnCo sites robustly facilitated NO3− adsorption, complemented by the proficiency of PtCu sites in NO3− reduction. The synergistic spatial neighborhood effect between SnCo and PtCu sites efficiently stabilizes NO3− deoxygenation and suppresses NO2− accumulation. This tandem architecture achieves a finely tuned balance between adsorption strength and deoxygenation kinetics, enabling highly selective and efficient NO3RR. Our findings emphasize the indispensable role of engineered multi-metallic catalysts in overcoming persistent challenges of NO3RR, paving the way for advanced NH3 synthesis and environmental remediation. © 2025 Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, the Chinese Academy of Sciences
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Chinese Journal of Catalysis
Year: 2025
Volume: 73
Page: 347-357
1 5 . 7 0 0
JCR@2023
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ESI Highly Cited Papers on the List: 0 Unfold All
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30 Days PV: 3
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