Al‐Ce Intermetallic Phase for Ambient High‐Performance Electrocatalytic Reduction of Nitrate to Ammonia
Junyan Ge, Tianran Wei, Junyang Ding, Zhifeng Wang, Qian Liu, Gaocan Qi, Guangzhi Hu, Jun Luo, Xijun Liu
Abstract
Abstract The conversion of NO 3 − ‐to‐NH 3 by electrolysis is an appealing approach for wastewater treatment; however, such a process is hindered by the lack of efficient catalysts. Herein, taking the nanoporous Al 11 Ce 3 intermetallic phase as an example, its electrocatalytic NO 3 − reduction reaction capability is first demonstrated. Benefiting from the unique structural feature, optimized intermediates adsorption and formation behavior, and restrained hydrogen evolution, the catalyst shows a remarkable electrochemical performance with a peak faradaic efficiency of 91 % and yield rate of 4.35 mg h −1 mg cat −1 , along with robust activity over 30 h. Further, a Zn−NO 3 − battery by using Al 11 Ce 3 as the cathode was designed, which gives a maximal power density of 8.5 mW cm −2 and a corresponding NH 3 yield rate of 1.97 mg h −1 mg cat −1 .