Strained Au skin on Mesoporous Intermetallic AuCu3 Nanocoral for Electrocatalytic Conversion of Nitrate to Ammonia across a Wide Concentration Range.

Abstract

Electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NitRR) uses nitrate from wastewater, offering a hopeful solution for environmental issues and ammonia production. Yet, varying nitrate levels in real wastewater greatly affect NitRR, slowing down its multi-step process. Herein, a multi-strategy approach was explored through the design of ordered mesoporous intermetallic AuCu3 nanocorals with ultrathin Au skin (meso-i-AuCu3@ultra-Au) as an efficient and concentration-versatile catalyst for NitRR. The highly penetrated structure, coupled with the compressive stress exerted on the skin layer, not only facilitates rapid electron/mass transfer, but also effectively modulates the surface electronic structure, addressing the concentration-dependent challenges encountered in practical NitRR process. As expected, the novel catalyst demonstrates outstanding NitRR activities and Faradaic efficiencies exceeding 95 % across a real and widespread concentration range (10-2000 mM). Notably, its performance at each concentration matched or exceeded that of the best-known catalyst designed for that concentration. Multiple operando spectroscopies unveiled the catalyst concurrently optimized the adsorption behavior of different intermediates (adsorbed *NOx and *H) while expediting the hydrogenation steps, leading to an efficient overall reduction process. Moreover, the catalyst also displays promising potential for use in ammonia production at industrial-relevant current densities and in conceptual zinc-nitrate batteries, serving trifunctional nitrate conversion, ammonia synthesis and power supply.