Breakthrough in Nanotechnology: Efficient Ammonia Synthesis from Nitric Oxide

Research conducted by Li-Ying Zhang and her team at the Dalian University of Technology has led to the development of a novel electrocatalytic approach for ammonia synthesis from nitric oxide. This pioneering work addresses two pressing environmental challenges: sustainable ammonia synthesis and detoxification of hazardous nitric oxide. The team's discovery of a copper-based catalyst, Cu@AR-TiO, exhibits remarkable performance in ammonia production, surpassing its counterparts in efficiency.

Key Takeaways:

• The electrocatalytic nitric oxide-to-ammonia conversion (NORR) process is thermodynamically favorable, but its practical viability is limited by kinetically sluggish reaction pathways and the solubility constraints of NO in aqueous media.
• The introduction of a biphasic carrier, rutile-anatase titanium dioxide (TiO) heterojunction-supported copper nanoparticles (Cu@AR-TiO), significantly enhances metal-support interactions (MSI) and facilitates electron transfer from Cu NPs to the carrier.
• The developed Cu@AR-TiO catalyst demonstrates exceptional efficiency in ammonia production, with an NH-Faraday efficiency of 91.38% at -0.7 V vs. RHE and an NH yield rate of 393.73 mmol h mg at -0.8 V vs. RHE.
• The distinctive electron structure of Cu@AR-TiO enhances NO adsorption and facilitates the generation of·NH intermediates, ultimately achieving superior catalytic efficiency in NH production.
• This breakthrough provides a novel approach to designing NO-to-NH catalysts and has significant implications for sustainable ammonia synthesis and environmental detoxification.

Statistics:

• NH-Faraday efficiency: 91.38% at -0.7 V vs. RHE
• NH yield rate: 393.73 mmol h mg at -0.8 V vs. RHE
• Concentration of NO: 1.93 mM in aqueous media at 25
• Temperature range: 10 % v/v NO
• Ammonia production rate: Surpasses its counterparts devoid of heterojunction or copper nanoparticles

Sources:

• Zhang, L.-Y., Chen, L.-W., & Qiao, S. (2025). Heterojunction-enhanced electron transfer of copper nanoparticles promotes electrocatalytic ammonia synthesis from nitric oxide. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 692, 137534.
• Academic Press Inc Elsevier Science. (No date). Journal of Colloid and Interface Science.
• Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education, China). (No date). Dalian University of Technology.