Electrochemical synthesis of Tetrahexahedral Cu nanocrystals with high-index facets for efficient nitrate electroreduction

Using Surface Composition and Energy to Control the Formation of Either Tetrahexahedral or Hexoctahedral High-Index Facet Nanostructures

High-index facet nanoparticles with structurally complex shapes, such as tetrahexahedron (THH) and hexoctahedron (HOH), represent a class of materials that are important for catalysis, and the study of them provides a fundamental understanding of the relationship between surface structures and catalytic properties. However, the high surface energies render them thermodynamically unfavorable compared to low-index facets, thereby making their syntheses challenging. Herein, we report a method to control the shape of high-index facet Cu nanoparticles (either THH with {210} facets or HOH with {421} facets) by tuning the facet surface energy with trace amounts of Te atoms. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the density of Te atoms on Cu nanoparticles can change the relative stability of the high-index facets associated with either the THH or HOH structures. By controlling the annealing conditions and the rate of Te dealloying from CuTe nanoparticles, the surface density of Te atoms can be deliberately adjusted, which can be used to force the formation of either THH (higher surface Te density) or HOH (lower surface Te density) nanoparticles.

Defect engineering on electrocatalysts for sustainable nitrate reduction to ammonia: Fundamentals and regulations

Electrocatalytic nitrate (NO3 -) reduction to ammonia (NH3) is a "two birds-one stone" method that targets remediation of NO3 --containing sewage and production of valuable NH3. The exploitation of advanced catalysts with high activity, selectivity, and durability is a key issue for the efficient catalytic performance. Among various strategies for catalyst design, defect engineering has gained increasing attention due to its ability to modulate the electronic properties of electrocatalysts and optimize the adsorption energy of reactive species, thereby enhancing the catalytic performance. Despite previous progress, there remains a lack of mechanistic insights into the regulation of catalyst defects for NO3 - reduction. Herein, this review presents insightful understanding of defect engineering for NO3 - reduction, covering its background, definition, classification, construction, and underlying mechanisms. Moreover, the relationships between regulation of catalyst defects and their catalytic activities are illustrated by investigating the properties of electrocatalysts through the analysis of electronic band structure, charge density distribution, and controllable adsorption energy. Furthermore, challenges and perspectives for future development of defects in NO3RR are also discussed, which can help researchers to better understand the defect engineering in catalysts, and also inspire scientists entering into this promising field.

Electrochemical Nitrate Reduction: Ammonia Synthesis and the Beyond

Natural nitrogen cycle has been severely disrupted by anthropogenic activities. The overuse of N-containing fertilizers induces the increase of nitrate level in surface and ground waters, and substantial emission of nitrogen oxides causes heavy air pollution. Nitrogen gas, as the main component of air, has been used for mass ammonia production for over a century, providing enough nutrition for agriculture to support world population increase. In the last decade, researchers have made great efforts to develop ammonia processes under ambient conditions to combat the intensive energy consumption and high carbon emission associated with the Haber-Bosch process. Among different techniques, electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) can achieve nitrate removal and ammonia generation simultaneously using renewable electricity as the power, and there is an exponential growth of studies in this research direction. Here, a timely and comprehensive review on the important progresses of electrochemical NO3RR, covering the rational design of electrocatalysts, emerging CN coupling reactions, and advanced energy conversion and storage systems is provided. Moreover, future perspectives are proposed to accelerate the industrialized NH3 production and green synthesis of chemicals, leading to a sustainable nitrogen cycle via prosperous N-based electrochemistry.

Copper-Based Electrocatalysts for Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia

Ammonia (NH₃) is a highly important industrial chemical used as fuel and fertilizer. The industrial synthesis of NH₃ relies heavily on the Haber-Bosch route, which accounts for roughly 1.2% of global annual CO₂ emissions. As an alternative route, the electrosynthesis of NH₃ from nitrate anion (NO₃^-) reduction (NO₃^-RR) has drawn increasing attention, since NO₃^-RR from wastewater to produce NH₃ can not only recycle waste into treasure but also alleviate the adverse effects of excessive NO₃^- contamination in the environment. This review presents contemporary views on the state of the art in electrocatalytic NO₃^- reduction over Cu-based nanostructured materials, discusses the merits of electrocatalytic performance, and summarizes current advances in the exploration of this technology using different strategies for nanostructured-material modification. The electrocatalytic mechanism of nitrate reduction is also reviewed here, especially with regard to copper-based catalysts.

Convex Cube-Shaped Pt34 Fe5 Ni20 Cu31 Mo9 Ru High Entropy Alloy Catalysts toward High-Performance Multifunctional Electrocatalysis

High entropy alloy (HEA) catalysts exhibit excellent multifunctional catalytic performance due to the synergistic effect of multi-metal components. However, shape-controlled synthesis of such kinds of HEA catalysts, especially those with high index facets, still faces great challenges, limiting further enhancement of their catalytic performance. Herein, one-pot synthesis of convex cube-shaped Pt₃₄ Fe₅ Ni₂₀ Cu₃₁ Mo₉ Ru HEA catalysts which possess rich (310) facets and a diagonal crystalline size of 38.5 nm is reported. Transmission electron microscopy measurements indicate cube-shaped nanocrystals are obtained first and further selective growth of pyramid on each facet of the cube-shaped nanocrystal results in a convex cube shape. Pt₃₄ Fe₅ Ni₂₀ Cu₃₁ Mo₉ Ru HEA catalysts show excellent electrocatalytic performance toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), which exhibit a half-wave potential of 0.87 V for ORR in 0.1 m HClO₄ , and overpotential of 20 and 259 mV for HER and OER at a current density of 10 mA cm^-2 in an alkaline medium. A control experiment and density functional theory calculation indicate that the Ru element plays a decisive role in both the formation of the convex cube shape and also the high catalytic performance.