Beyond Purification: Highly Efficient and Selective Conversion of NO into Ammonia by Coupling Continuous Absorption and Photoreduction under Ambient Conditions

Role of synergies of Cu/Fe3O4 electrocatalyst for nitric oxide reduction to ammonia

The electrochemical nitric oxide reduction reaction (NORR) is a promising green process for nitric oxide (NO) removal and ammonia (NH3) synthesis. Among existing catalysts, copper (Cu) exhibits relatively high activity but is less stable and does not provide enough *H to further increase the NH3 yield. In this study, a Cu/Fe3O4 electrocatalyst with synergistic catalysis was synthesized. Cu contributes to NO activation and sequential hydrogenation, while Fe3O4 promotes the decomposition of H2O to provide more *H and jointly promote NH3 synthesis. The Cu/Fe3O4 shows a high NH3 yield of 347.5 ± 5.9 μmol h-1 cm-2 at -0.5 V vs. RHE and high Faraday efficiency (FE) of 95.8 ± 0.4 %, superior to most reported non-precious metal catalysts. Moreover, the catalyst activity was not attenuate after the 100 h stability test. The aqueous Zn-NO battery system demonstrates concurrent energy generation and ammonia synthesis capabilities, delivering a peak power output of 9.53 mW cm-2 alongside efficient NH3 production with a yield of 595.7 ± 5.1 μg h-1 cm-2.

Dual-site Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism in ZnCr-LDH/NH2-UIO66 heterojunction for efficient photocatalytic NO oxidation

In this study, we developed a ZnCr-LDH/NH2-UIO66 heterojunction to enhance photocatalytic NO oxidation through a dual-site Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) mechanism. Nitrogen oxides (NOₓ), including NO, are hazardous environmental contaminants linked to severe air pollution issues such as haze, acid rain, and photochemical smog. The composite catalyst addresses these challenges by synergistically activating NO and O2 under environmentally relevant conditions, including simulated solar light, ambient temperature, and NO concentrations of 1000 ppb typical of polluted urban areas. The MOF component (NH2-UIO66) selectively adsorbs NO, while the LDH component (ZnCr-LDH) efficiently activates O2 to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). The built-in electric field (BIEF) optimizes charge separation, enabling 71.1 % NO removal efficiency with 97.8 % nitrate selectivity, effectively suppressing toxic NO2 byproduct formation. This work provides a sustainable strategy for mitigating hazardous NO emissions in air pollution control, bridging material design with environmental remediation.

Solar Ammonia Synthesis: Near-Complete Conversion of Intermediated Nitrogen Energy Carrier via the N2-NO-NH3 Route

N2 fixation into NH3 under ambient conditions remains greatly challenging, where a relay scheme by plasma-enabled N2 oxidation (pN2OR) and the NO reduction reaction (NORR) can be a practical route. However, the efficient conversion of NO, as the intermediate nitrogen energy carrier, has not been accomplished due to the limited mass transfer of NO in the reaction solution. Here, a tandem pN2OR and photocatalytic NORR route (N2-NO-NH3) is developed to achieve sustainable NH3 synthesis with near-complete NO conversion. The highly concentrated NO (∼1%), produced via pN2OR, is introduced to an absorption-photocatalysis scheme, where the efficiencies for synchronous NO dissolution and photoreduction are significantly promoted. This system delivers a near 100% NO conversion ratio and superior NH3 selectivity (98.33% ± 0.75%) and stability (240 h) in a single-pass continuous flow. This research has successfully developed a highly profitable production route, yielding a substantial profit of $3000 per ton for NH4COOH as the final product.

Low-dimensional materials for ammonia synthesis

Ammonia is an essential chemical due to its immense usage in agriculture, energy storage, and transportation. The synthesis of "green" ammonia via carbon-free routes and renewable energy sources is the need of the hour. In this context, photo- and/or electrocatalysis proves to be highly crucial. Low-dimensional materials (LDMs), owing to their unique properties, play a significant role in catalysis. This review presents a vast library of LDMs and broadly categorizes their catalytic performance according to their dimensionality, i.e., zero-, one-, and two-dimensional catalysts. The rational design of LDMs can significantly improve their catalytic performance, particularly in reducing small molecules like dinitrogen, nitrates, nitrites, and nitric oxides to synthesize ammonia via photo- and/or electrocatalysis. Additionally, converting nitrates and nitrites to ammonia can be beneficial in wastewater treatment and be coupled with CO2 co-reduction or oxidative reactions to produce urea and other valuable chemicals, which are also discussed in this review. This review collates the works published in recent years in this field and offers some fresh perspectives on ammonia synthesis. Through this review, we aim to provide a comprehensive insight into the catalytic properties of the LDMs, which are expected to enhance the efficiency of ammonia production and promote the synthesis of value-added products.

Purification and Value-Added Conversion of NOx under Ambient Conditions with Photo-/Electrocatalysis Technology

As primary air pollutants from fossil fuel combustion, the excess emission of nitric oxides (NOx) results in a series of atmospheric environmental issues. Although the selective catalytic reduction technology has been confirmed to be effective for NOx removal, green purification and value-added conversion of NOx under ambient conditions are still facing great challenges, especially for nitrogen resource recovery. To address that, photo-/electrocatalysis technology offers sustainable routes for efficient NOx purification and upcycling under ambient temperature and pressure, which has received considerable attention from scientific communities. In this review, recent advances in photo-/electrocatalysis technology for the purification and value-added conversion of NOx are critically summarized. The target products and reaction mechanisms for NOx conversion systems, together with the responsible active sites, are discussed, respectively. Then, the realistic environmental practicability is proposed, including strict performance evaluation criteria and application in realistic conditions for NOx purification and upcycling by the application of photo-/electrocatalysis. Finally, the current challenges and future opportunities are proposed in terms of catalyst design, NOx conversion enhancement, reaction mechanism understanding, practical application conditions, and product separation techniques.

Ru-Incorporation-Induced Phase Transition in Co Nanoparticles for Low-Concentration Nitric Oxide Electroreduction to Ammonia at Low Potential

Electrocatalytic reduction of nitric oxide (NO) to ammonia (NH3) represents a potential solution for improving the disrupted nitrogen cycle balance. Unfortunately, designing efficient electrocatalysts for NO reduction reaction (NORR) remains a notable challenge, especially at low concentrations. Herein, a displacement-alloying strategy is reported to successfully induce the phase transition of Co nanoparticles supported on carbon nanosheets from face-centered cubic (fcc) to hexagonal close-packed (hcp) structure through Ru incorporation. The obtained RuCo alloy with hcp phase structure (hcp-RuCo) exhibits apparent NORR activity with a record-high Faraday efficiency of 99.2% and an NH3 yield of 77.76 µg h-1 mgcat -1 at -0.1 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode at a NO concentration of 1 vol %, surpassing Co nanoparticles with fcc phase structure and most reported catalysts. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the excellent NORR activity of hcp-RuCo can be attributed to the optimized electronic structure of Co site and lowered energy barrier of the potential rate-determining step through phase transition. Furthermore, the assembled Zn-NO battery using hcp-RuCo as the cathode achieves a power density of 2.33 mW cm-2 and an NH3 yield of 45.94 µg h-1 mgcat -1. This work provides a promising research perspective for low-concentration NO conversion.

Dissecting the Photochemical Reactivity of Metal Ions during Atmospheric Nitrate Transformations on Photoactive Mineral Dust

Dissecting the photochemical reactivity of metal ions is a significant contribution to understanding secondary pollutant formation, as they have a role to be reckoned with atmospheric chemistry. However, their photochemical reactivity has received limited attention within the active nitrogen cycle, particularly at the gas-solid interface. In this study, we delve into the contribution of magnesium ion (Mg2+) and ferric ion (Fe3+) to nitrate decomposition on the surface of photoactive mineral dust. Under simulated sunlight irradiation, the observed NOX production rate differs by an order of magnitude in the presence of Mg2+ (6.02 × 10-10 mol s-1) and Fe3+ (2.07 × 10-11 mol s-1). The markedly decreased fluorescence lifetime induced by Mg2+ and the change in the valence of Fe3+ revealed that Mg2+ and Fe3+ significantly affect the concentration of nitrate decomposition products by distinct photochemical reactivity with photogenerated electrons. Mg2+ promotes NOX production by accelerating charge transfer, while Fe3+ hinders nitrate decomposition by engaging in a redox cyclic reaction with Fe2+ to consume photogenerated carriers continuously. Furthermore, when Fe3+ coexists with other metal ions (e.g., Mg2+, Ca2+, Na+, and K+) and surpasses a proportion of approximately 12%, the photochemical reactivity of Fe3+ tends to be dominant in depleting photogenerated electrons and suppressing nitrate decomposition. Conversely, below this threshold, the released NOX concentration increases sharply as the proportion of Fe3+ decreases. This research offers valuable insights into the role of metal ions in nitrate transformation and the generation of reactive nitrogen species, contributing to a deep understanding of atmospheric photochemical reactions.

Photocatalytic NO x removal and recovery: progress, challenges and future perspectives

The excessive production of nitrogen oxides (NO x ) from energy production, agricultural activities, transportation, and other human activities remains a pressing issue in atmospheric environment management. NO x serves both as a significant pollutant and a potential feedstock for energy carriers. Photocatalytic technology for NO x removal and recovery has received widespread attention and has experienced rapid development in recent years owing to its environmental friendliness, mild reaction conditions, and high efficiency. This review systematically summarizes the recent advances in photocatalytic removal, encompassing NO x oxidation removal (including single and synergistic removal and NO3 - decomposition), NO x reduction to N2, and the emergent NO x upcycling into green ammonia. Special focus is given to the molecular understanding of the interfacial nitrogen-associated reaction mechanisms and their regulation pathways. Finally, the status and the challenges of photocatalytic NO x removal and recovery are critically discussed and future outlooks are proposed for their potential practical application.

Selective Electrocatalytic Conversion of Nitric Oxide to High Value-Added Chemicals

The artificial disturbance in the nitrogen cycle has necessitated an urgent need for nitric oxide (NO) removal. Electrochemical technologies for NO conversion have gained increasing attention in recent years. This comprehensive review presents the recent advancements in selective electrocatalytic conversion of NO to high value-added chemicals, with specific emphasis on catalyst design, electrolyte composition, mass diffusion, and adsorption energies of key intermediate species. Furthermore, the review explores the synergistic electrochemical co-electrolysis of NO with specific carbon source molecules, enabling the synthesis of a range of valuable chemicals with C─N bonds. It also provides in-depth insights into the intricate reaction pathways and underlying mechanisms, offering valuable perspectives on the challenges and prospects of selective NO electrolysis. By advancing comprehension and fostering awareness of nitrogen cycle balance, this review contributes to the development of efficient and sustainable electrocatalytic systems for the selective synthesis of valuable chemicals from NO.

Identification of Cu(111) as Superior Active Sites for Electrocatalytic NO Reduction to NH3 with High Single-Pass Conversion Efficiency

Opting for NO as an N source in electrocatalytic NH3 synthesis presents an intriguing approach to tackle energy and environmental challenges. However, blindly pursuing high NH3 synthesis rates and Faradaic efficiency (FE) while ignoring the NO conversion ratio could result in environmental problems. Herein, Cu nanosheets with exposed (111) surface is fabricated and exhibit a NO-to-NH3 yield rate of 371.89 μmol cm-2  h-1 (flow cell) and the highest FE of 93.19±1.99 % (H-type cell). The NO conversion ratio is increased to the current highest value of 63.74 % combined with the development of the flow cell. Additionally, Crystal Orbital Hamilton Population (COHP) clearly reveals that the "σ-π* acceptance-donation" is the essence of the interaction between the Cu and NO as also supported by operando attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IRAS) in observing the key intermediate of NO- . This work not only achieves a milestone NO conversion ratio for electrocatalytic NO-to-NH3 , but also proposes a new descriptor that utilizes orbital hybridization between molecules and metal centers to accurately identify the real active sites of catalysts.

Continuous NO Upcycling into Ammonia Promoted by SO2 in Flue Gas: Poison Can Be a Gift

Although ammonia (NH3) synthesis efficiency from the NO reduction reaction (NORR) is significantly promoted in recent years, one should note that NO is one of the major air pollutants in the flue gas. The limited NO conversion ratio is still the key challenge for the sustainable development of the NORR route, which potentially contributes more to contaminant emissions rather than its upcycling. Herein, we provide a simple but effective approach for continuous NO reduction into NH3, promoted by coexisting SO2 poison as a gift in the flue gas. It is significant to discover that SO2 plays a decisive role in elevating the capacity of NO absorption and reduction. A unique redox pair of SO2-NO is constructed, which contributes to the exceptionally high conversion ratio for both NO (97.59 ± 1.42%) and SO2 (99.24 ± 0.49%) in a continuous flow. The ultrahigh selectivity for both NO-to-NH3 upcycling (97.14 ± 0.55%) and SO2-to-SO42- purification (92.44 ± 0.71%) is achieved synchronously, demonstrating strong practicability for the value-added conversion of air contaminants. The molecular mechanism is revealed by comprehensive in situ technologies to identify the essential contribution of SO2 to NO upcycling. Besides, realistic practicality is realized by the efficient product recovery and resistance ability against various poisoning effects. The proposed strategy in this work not only achieves a milestone efficiency for NH3 synthesis from the NORR but also raises great concerns about contaminant resourcing in realistic conditions.