Boosting the Electroactivity of Porous Ni2P/Pd6P Nanorods for Nitrate to Ammonia Through Hydrogen Spillover Effect

Abstract

AbstractIn contrast to the energy‐intensive Haber‐Bosch process, the electroreduction of nitrate to ammonia presents a promising alternative. In this work, the Ni2P/Pd6P nanorods (named NiPdP‐NR) are successfully synthesized by using a simple phosphating process with NiIIPdII‐dimethylglyoxime complex (NiIIPdII‐DMG) nanorods as the precursor. Density functional theory calculations and electrochemical experiments prove that the introduction of Pd facilitates hydrogen spillover from Pd to Ni2P modulates the surface electronic structures, and therefore improves the catalytic kinetics of nitrate reduction ultimately. According to the dynamic experiment, the as‐prepared NiPdP‐NR shows high nitrate conversion efficiency (90.6%), selectivity of NH3 (93.4%), high Faradic efficiency (92.6%), and NH3 yield rate (0.908 mmol h−1 mgcat−1) for the nitrate reduction.