Abstract
The electrochemical upcycling of nitrate (NO3 −) to ammonia (NH3) holds promise for synergizing both wastewater treatment and NH3 synthesis. Efficient stripping of gaseous byproducts (NH3, H2, and N2) from electrocatalysts is crucial for continuous and stable electrochemical reactions. This study evaluated a layered electrocatalyst structure using copper (Cu) dendrite to enable a high curvature and hydrophobicity and achieve a stratified liquid contact at the gas-liquid interface of the electrocatalyst layer. As such, gaseous product desorption or displacement from electrocatalysts was enhanced due to the separation of a wetted reaction zone and a non-wetted zone for gas-transfer. Consequently, this electrocatalyst structure yielded a 1.9-fold boost in per active site activity compared to that with a low curvature and high hydrophilic counterpart. Moreover, a high NH3 Faradaic efficiency of 90.9 ± 2.3% was achieved with nearly 100% NO3 − conversion. This high-curvature hydrophobic Cu dendrite was further integrated with a gas-extraction membrane, which demonstrated outstanding NH3 yield from the real reverse osmosis retentate brine. Figure 1
Published Version
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