Schematic of the optical limiting action of a novel imidazo[2,1-b][1,3,4]thiadiazole based small molecule (ThITD3), which blocks high irradiance and transmits low-intensity (less harmful) light.
Synthesis of ammonia via electrochemical reduction of
nitrate is
one of the most sustainable routes both for environmental protection
as well as energy saving initiatives. However, this process is limited
to the development of high-performance free-standing catalytic electrodes
with improved selectivity and Faradaic efficiency. Herein, we report
theory-guided designing and fabrication of free-standing non-noble
metal (Mn, Fe, and Co)-doped copper oxide (CuO) electrodes by using
a simple and scalable electrode preparation method. The density functional
theory (DFT)-based calculations show that the doped-Co sites in the
Cu surface facilitate the generation and supply of H+ to
the adsorbed NO3
– during the reduction
process; as a result, the Co–CuO catalyst displays higher selectivity
toward nitrate reduction. The Co-doped Cu electrode (Co–CuO)
delivers a higher NH3 yield (5492 μg cm–2) at a reduction potential of −0.91 V vs RHE while maintaining
a Faradaic efficiency of >95%. The alloying of Co to the copper
metal
not only facilitates the proton donation to the adsorbed reactant
(NO3
–) but also tunes the Cu d-center,
resulting in the active site modulation responsible for the activation
of catalysts.
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