Emerging Applications, Developments, Prospects, and Challenges of Electrochemical Nitrate‐to‐Ammonia Conversion

Abstract

(1 of 23) −), dinitrogen (N 2 ), and ammonia (NH 3 ) are the most common and important inorganic nitrogen species, the global nitrogen cycle is significant to the ecology and economy. NH 3 is the main raw material of chemical fertilizer

Recent developments and prospects for engineering first-row transition metal-based catalysts for electrocatalytic NOx− reduction to ammonia

“…Ammonia (NH 3 ) exerts a significant influence on economic development and demographic growth. [1][2][3] NH 3 currently accounts for approximately 5% of the market value of chemicals, occupying a market size reaching 175 million tons and a market value approaching $67 billion. 4 Lim et al have speculated that with the global population growing on a moderate fecundity assumption model, the market size of NH 3 could reach 220-402 million tons in 2050, while the market value would expand to $374-$495 billion.…”

“…Among these alternative approaches, the electrocatalytic reduction of N-containing species has emerged as an attractive approach under ambient conditions on account of its appealing cost and environmental friendliness. 7 The advantages of electrocatalytic ammonia production compared to the Haber-Bosch process (N 2 + 3H 2 = 2NH 3 ) include the following two points: (1) It is operated under ambient conditions, which avoids the high temperature (>450 °C) and high pressure (>10 MPa) conditions of the Haber-Bosch process. 8 (2) It is more conducive to achieving carbon neutrality due to the elimination of massive CO 2 production.…”

“…According to the current development of aqueous NO x − reduction technology, the following points should be observed when designing electrocatalysts with excellent selectivity and remarkable overpotential. (1) Increasing the adsorption of NO 3 − and NO 2 − on catalysts is beneficial for the reaction. However, the problem of attenuated product desorption should also be taken into account accompanied by enhanced NO x − adsorption.…”

Confinement engineering for enhanced electrocatalytic nitrate reduction by integrating B-doped graphene with iron catalysts for long-term stability

“…7 To address these challenges, electrocatalytic nitrate reduction (NO 3 RR) was developed as a green strategy for the removal of NO 3 − contaminants in water. 8,9 Compared with other NO 3 − removal strategies, electrocatalytic NO 3 RR has unique advantages such as low cost, environmental friendliness, biocompatibility, designability, and simple equipment for remote automation control. 10 Because the electrocatalytic NO 3 RR is a complex multi-electron process, its products are diverse, of which N 2 and NH 4 + are the two most stable products.…”

Asymmetric electrode design with built‐in nitrogen transfer channel achieving maximized three‐phase reaction region for electrochemical ammonia synthesis

“…To date, several alternative methods, such as electrocatalysis and photocatalysis, have been proposed for artificial ammonia production. [7][8][9] Among various options, the electrocatalytic nitrogen (N 2 ) reduction reaction (NRR), wherein nitrogen, water, and electrons from renewable sources react to form ammonia under mild conditions, has attracted widespread attention from the scientific community. 10,11 However, the development of such a sustainable ammonia synthesis technology is severely restricted by the unsatisfied selectivity and yield rate.…”